Minnesota Medicare Supplement plans (Medigap)

Medicare Supplement plans work alongside Original Medicare, which first pays its share of approved costs. Then your Medicare Supplement plan kicks in and pays its share. After that, you’re responsible for any remaining costs.

The result is greater peace of mind and simpler management of your medical costs. Plus, as long as you continue to pay your monthly premium, your plan won’t be canceled, even if your health needs change. And if you travel or decide to move to a different state, your plan can come along too.

Medicare Supplement plans work with Original Medicare. Other Medicare plans, like Medicare Advantage, take the place of Original Medicare.

In other words, you can choose to enroll in Original Medicare and then purchase an additional Medicare Supplement plan to work alongside it. Or you can choose to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. But you can’t be enrolled in both a Medicare Supplement plan and a Medicare Advantage plan at the same time.

With Medicare Supplement plans, “benefits and coverage” refers primarily to help paying Original Medicare costs. In other words:

• Your benefits and coverage for medical care are generally the same as Original Medicare (Parts A and B).
• Your Supplement plan has its own benefits and coverage for medical costs that help make your care through Original Medicare less expensive.

Your Supplement plan may also offer additional perks, like assistance when you’re traveling or a fitness program. Check the details of plans you’re interested in to learn more.

A few additional things to note:

• Like Original Medicare, Medicare Supplement plans don’tcover most prescription drugs. You’ll have to also purchase a stand-alone prescription drug plan, also called a Medicare Part D plan, if you want this coverage.
• Like Original Medicare, Medicare Supplement plans only cover dental care that’s part of a hospital stay, dental surgery to treat fractures, care needed after jaw surgery, and reconstruction needed after certain procedures and select other situations. If you want more dental coverage (like for regular cleanings and checkups), you’ll have to purchase a separate, non-Medicare dental plan.

Like Original Medicare, Supplement plans typically don’t have networks. You also don’t need any referrals – you can see any doctor in the U.S. who accepts Medicare and is willing to see you. You’ll pay the same for covered services no matter where you are.

In most states, Medicare Supplement plans follow federal standards, called Plans A – N. (These aren’t the same as the parts of Medicare).

But in Minnesota, Medicare Supplement plans are organized a little differently. You can find these kinds of Medigap plans in Minnesota:

• Basic, with or without up to four optional additional coverages (riders)
• Extended Basic
• Medicare SELECT (a Supplement plan that includes a network)
• Plan F, if you became eligible for Medicare before Jan. 1, 2020
• Plans K, L, M and N

At HealthPartners, we offer a Basic plan with four optional riders, an Extended Basic plan, and Plan N.

You have a six-month Open Enrollment Period for Medicare Supplement plans. This period starts the month when both of these are true:

• You’re 65 years old or older, and
• You’re enrolled in Medicare Part B

During this period, you can buy any Medicare Supplement policy sold in your state, without restrictions.

If you don’t buy a Medicare Supplement plan during this period but decide you want one later, insurance companies aren’t required to sell you a plan. If they do, your plan may cost more or come with waiting periods for certain coverage. (These restrictions don’t apply if you have guaranteed issue rights .)