Med Supp for MA

[lacy_amy]

Can someone please clarify the difference between Med Supps and MA's?

 

[Frank Stastny]

MA's are the plans that fall under Part C of Medicare. They are HMO's, PPO's, and PFFS Plans.

Medicare Supplements are taken by people who have "Traditional Medicare" and are designed to supplement Medicare Parts A & B.

If a person has a Part C Plan then for all practical purposes their Medicare Card is pretty much useless. The provider, instead of billing Medicare, will send the claim directly to the Part C provider.

If this raises more questions for you then maybe we should talk.

 

[Josh]

The Medicare & You book at medicare.gov does a great job explaining it with pictures too!

 

[retread]

Can someone please clarify the difference between Med Supps and MA's?

The simplest concept to me is: Med Sups are pre-pay policies and MAs are pay-as-you-go plans. IOW, with the Med Sup, you pay monthly whether you need medical care or not, whereas with MAs (at least the $0 plans) you don't pay until you need medical care, at which time you must make a co-pay.

That said, the "advantage" of the Medicare Advantage program is slipping each year as the monthly premiums keep rising and the benefits have increasing co-pays. For next year, the main consideration for an MA plan is the maximum out-of-pocket expense. Used to be it was about what an annual Med Sup was. Now it has skyrocketed, and Med Sups can be more cost effective.

Another distinction to be made is that Med Sups have NO co-pays. When you get medical care, your covered Med Sup benefits are there, period. The effort has to be made to decide where you need coverage, though.

 

[DS4]

Can someone please clarify the difference between Med Supps and MA's?

With a Med Supp, you have 2 id cards.
With a MA, you have 1 id card.

 

[Slade]

Medicare Advantage replaces Original Medicare.

A Medicare Supplement supplements Original Medicare.

You can not use a Medicare Supplement to supplement Medicare Advantage.

 

[padthaiforlunch]

Your post saved the thread. Gold Star for you!

The simplest concept to me is: Med Sups are pre-pay policies and MAs are pay-as-you-go plans. IOW, with the Med Sup, you pay monthly whether you need medical care or not, whereas with MAs (at least the $0 plans) you don't pay until you need medical care, at which time you must make a co-pay.

That said, the "advantage" of the Medicare Advantage program is slipping each year as the monthly premiums keep rising and the benefits have increasing co-pays. For next year, the main consideration for an MA plan is the maximum out-of-pocket expense. Used to be it was about what an annual Med Sup was. Now it has skyrocketed, and Med Sups can be more cost effective.

Another distinction to be made is that Med Sups have NO co-pays. When you get medical care, your covered Med Sup benefits are there, period. The effort has to be made to decide where you need coverage, though.