Medicare Plans in Oregon in 2022
One of the most significant factors that influence Medicare options is where you reside. Luckily for Oregon residents, state law gives Medicare beneficiaries there broader Medigap enrollment protections than people living in most other states.
Being aware of your state-specific Medicare rights can help you to find the best plan options possible. That’s why it’s so important to have a good understanding of the nuances of Medicare in your state. Below we’ll be explaining your Medigap, Medicare Advantage, and Part D options in Oregon.
How To Apply for Medicare in Oregon
If you are an Oregon resident who is only interested in enrolling in Original Medicare, you can do so through your local Social Security office. You can sign up in-person, online, or over the phone as early as three months before your 65th birthday.
However, if you want to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Part D drug coverage, we recommend you speak with a licensed insurance agent. They can walk you through the process and help you to find the right plan for you.
Reach out to a team member here at Medicare Plans Direct today to have all of your Medicare-related questions answered.
Medicare Supplement Plans in Oregon
There are some Medigap enrollment protections in Oregon that are unique to the state. That’s why it’s always important to be aware of state-specific Medicare Supplement regulations.
Which Medigap plans are available to you in Oregon will depend on a number of factors, such as which insurance company you enroll with and where you reside.
There were 190,311 Oregon residents enrolled in Medicare Supplement Insurance in 2018. This figure represented a little over a fifth (22%) of the total of Medicare enrollees in the state that year.
The most popular Medigap plans in Oregon include Plans F and G. These plans offer some of the most comprehensive coverage around.
However, beneficiaries who first became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 will no longer be allowed to enroll in Plan F. Plans G and N are good alternatives.
Medigap Enrollment in Oregon
Oregon has a number of state-specific guaranteed issue rights protections for Medicare beneficiaries who want to enroll in a Medigap plan.
Your first opportunity to enroll in Medicare Supplement Insurance in Oregon is during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period (OEP). This occurs when you first qualify for Medicare and are enrolled in Medicare Part B, and it lasts for six months. This is usually the best time for people to enroll in Medigap.
In Oregon, people under the age of 65 who qualify for Medicare because they suffer from a disability are guaranteed the right to purchase any type of Medigap coverage they would like during their OEP. They are not limited to which plans they can enroll in and don’t have to undergo medical underwriting. Plus, insurance companies cannot charge them a higher premium than what they would charge individuals 65 years of age or older.
This protection is not granted in most other states. These individuals will also have a second OEP when they turn 65.
However, you should be aware that some Medigap insurance companies in Oregon implement pre-existing condition waiting periods. This means that your insurance company can choose to delay coverage for your condition for up to six months when you first enroll in your Medigap plan if you didn’t have some form of creditable coverage before enrolling in your Medicare Supplement Insurance policy.
Different plans have different pre-existing condition policies. If you think these waiting periods could apply to you, we recommend consulting with an experienced Medicare insurance agent to find out how long any given plan can withhold coverage for your condition.
Oregon Medigap Birthday Rule
Oregon has a special Medicare Supplement enrollment period that applies to beneficiaries who are already enrolled in a Medigap plan.
In most states, unless you qualify for a guaranteed issue right, you usually have to undergo medical underwriting if you want to modify your Medigap coverage after your OEP finalizes. In this case, insurance companies reserve the right to deny you coverage or charge you a higher premium.
However, the state of Oregon implemented a law in 2013 that grants people an annual opportunity to modify their Medigap coverage. If a person already has Medicare Supplement Insurance, they can make changes to their plan once a year during the 30 days following their birthday.
This Oregon “Birthday Rule” permits Medigap enrollees to switch to a plan with equal or lesser benefits outside of their OEP without having to undergo medical underwriting.
Medigap Premiums in Oregon
Medigap premiums in Oregon can be influenced by a number of factors, including age, gender, health history, smoking status, method of payment, ZIP code, and more. The number of members in any given insurance policy pool has an especially significant impact on how much plans charge for monthly premiums.
Most Oregon Medigap insurance companies use an attained-age rating system when it comes to determining monthly premiums. This means that your monthly premium can increase as you get older, which is important to consider when choosing a Medigap plan.
Some companies also offer issue-age-rated plans. In this case, premiums are determined by the age you were when you enrolled in the policy. There is one insurance company in Oregon that uses a community-rated system once beneficiaries turn 75, meaning that their monthly premium rate will stop increasing after reaching that age.
Oregon Medicare beneficiaries could choose between 29 Medigap insurance companies in 2021. We always recommend consulting with a knowledgeable insurance agent before deciding on a Medicare Supplement to ensure that you are getting the best value plan for you.
Medicare Advantage Plans in Oregon
Another coverage option for people looking for more benefits than those offered by Original Medicare is Medicare Advantage. Also known as Medicare Part C, these plans provide the coverage that you get under Original Medicare on top of additional benefits, which can include drug coverage, hearing coverage, vision coverage, dental coverage, and more.
Many Oregon residents over the age of 65 choose Medicare Part C as their preferred coverage option, and almost half (48.9%) of Medicare beneficiaries in the state were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan in 2021. There are 132 Medicare Advantage plans available in Oregon in 2022.
Additionally, 100% of Medicare beneficiaries have access to at least one Medicare Advantage plan in 2022. Which Medicare Advantage plans you have available to you depends on where exactly you reside, as plan availability varies from county to county.
For example, Medicare enrollees who live in Multnomah county can choose between 56 plans in 2022, while residents of Clatsop County have just two plans available to them.
When it comes to monthly premiums, what you pay for your Medicare Advantage plan depends on where you live, the plan that you choose, and more. In 2022, the average Part C monthly premium for Oregon Medicare beneficiaries is $39.77. Plus, all Oregon Medicare enrollees have access to at least one plan with a $0 monthly premium.
Deciding which is the right Medicare Advantage plan for you is best done with the help of an experienced insurance agent. Here at Medicare Plans Direct we help you make the best Medicare choices possible at no extra cost to you. Reach out today to receive free Medicare advice.
Medicare Part D in Oregon
Another thing for Oregon beneficiaries to keep in mind is their Part D prescription drug plan options. In 2022, there are 23 stand-alone drug plans available to Oregon Medicare enrollees.
How much you will have to pay for your Part D premium depends on where you live and which insurance company you purchase your plan through. In 2022, the average Part D premium in Oregon is $48.17.
You can also find drug plans with $0 deductibles, though insurance companies usually charge higher monthly premiums for these plans. In 2022, there are four plans with no deductible available to Oregon residents, and the lowest-cost stand-alone drug plan with a $0 deductible has a monthly premium of $68.90.
It is usually a good idea to enroll in Medicare prescription drug coverage when you are first eligible if you foresee it being necessary in the future. If you don’t sign up for Medicare Part D when you first qualify and don’t have some other form of creditable drug coverage, you could face late enrollment penalty fees down the road.
Some types of Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage, but if you are enrolled in Original Medicare and/or a Medigap policy, you will need a stand-alone drug plan to cover the costs of your prescription drugs.
As you can see, your Medicare coverage options depend on a number of factors, one of the most important being where you live. That’s where we come in. We can compare plans for you and help you to make the best possible Medicare decisions, so reach out today for a free consultation.
