The Basic Benefits
Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans A is the most basic plan. Each Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans policy must offer its most basic benefits.
Medicare Part A
Once you have paid your hospital deductible – original Medicare pays all of your hospital care costs for up to 60 days in a benefit period. If you decide to stay on the plan for more than 60 days – you are required to pay a 2012 rate per day for days 61 through 90. For days 91 through 150, the cost will be $512 throughout 2012.
All 10 supplemental plans cover your costs for days 61 through 150. In addition, once you use 150 days of Medicare hospital benefits, all Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans plans cover 365 more hospital days in your lifetime.
Benefit periods begin the day you go to the hospital and ends when you have been out of the hospital for 60 consecutive days. If you were to go to the hospital again after the 60th day, you would have started a new benefit period.
Medicare Part B
Once you pay your yearly Part B deductible, Medicare generally pays 80% of doctor and other medical services. It pays 50% of mental health services.
Every Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans plan covers your share of these services such as 20% of Medicare-approved doctor services and 50% for mental health services. Medicare approves the payment amount of reasonable health care services.
Medicare does not cover the first 3 pints of blood you need each year. Every Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans plans cover these 3 pints of blood you require each year – Medicare will then pay for any additional blood.
Additional Benefits
Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans Plan A (as well as Plan B through J) covers only the basic benefits – for some, this is all they need, for others, they may want to have additional supplemental coverage with Plans B through J.
At a higher monthly cost, you can purchase a Medicare Policy with the following additional benefits:
- Medicare Part A Hospital Deductible
- Skilled Nursing Home Costs
- Medicare Part B Deductible
- Medicare Part B Excess Charges
- Foreign Travel Emergency
- At Home Recovery
- Preventive Care
