Medicare advantage offers original Medicare plus more
Medicare advantage refers to private health plans offered by insurance companies. These plans are also referred to HMOs (health maintenance organizations) and PPOs (preferred provider organizations). If you an alternative to the traditional Medicare, then you need a Medicare advantage plan. PRS Insurance sells Medicare advantage plans in Dallas, Denton, Fort Worth and Houston.
The problem with traditional Medicare is that there are many gaps and if you have a bad health year you could have to pay a lot of out youth own pocket. Plans such as Medigap and Medicare advantage offer solutions to this problem.
A Medicare advantage plan offers the same coverage as original Medicare. However, these advantage plans offer additional benefits and they can charge different co-payments. Additional benefits could be things such as coverage related to prescription drugs, hearing, dental, vision and even wellness programs.
Medicare advantage plans will charge a monthly premium in addition to the premium for the standard coverage. Most advantage plans require you to consult with doctors who are part of the network. You may face larger co-payments if you go to physicians outside the network. There are hover annual limits on out of pocket costs. This means you are often limited to consulting doctors who contracted into the HNO or PPO.
Although a private health plan must provide all the benefits of Medicare Part A & B, they will have different rules, costs and restrictions. Medicare advantage is different to Medigap. You can’t enroll for Medigap if you are on an advantage plan. Medigap is only for people enrolled in the traditional Medicare. It is private insurance that covers certain out of pocket expenses. You are entitled to enroll for a Medicare advantage plan despite past or existing conditions (other the end stage renal disease).
