Medigap Plan F
Medigap Plan F is the Medicare Supplement plan that offers the highest number of benefits. It covers all of your Medicare cost-sharing expenses. It is historically one of the most popular Medicare Supplement plans on the market, with 49% of all Medigap enrollees choosing either Plan F or its high-deductible version in 2019.
When you enroll in Plan F, the only thing you will be responsible for paying (aside from out-of-hospital drug costs if you don’t enroll in a drug plan) is your Plan F premium.
What does Medigap Plan F cover?
Plan F covers all of the benefits that a Medigap plan can possibly cover, which are as follows:
- Part A coinsurance payments for inpatient hospital care up to an additional year after your Medicare benefits have been expended
- Part B coinsurance and copays
- Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) and Part A Hospice Care coinsurance and copays
- Part A and Part B deductibles
- First three pints of blood for a medical procedure
- Foreign travel emergency expenses (up to your plan’s limit)
- Part B preventive care coinsurance
- Part B excess charges*
As you can see, Medigap Plan F is a great option for those who anticipate high medical bills and want broader coverage. However, given that it offers such a wide range of benefits, it may come with a higher monthly premium than other Medigap plans.
If you are interested in receiving all of the benefits that Plan F offers with a lower monthly premium, there is another option for you: High Deductible Plan F.
*Excess charges are incurred when a medical provider doesn’t “accept assignment” or, in other words, charges more than the Medicare-approved amount that corresponds to their services.
Plan F vs. High Deductible Plan F
There is another option for those who are interested in Plan F but prefer to avoid high monthly premiums: High Deductible Plan F.
This plan is a great way to get the extensive coverage benefits of regular Plan F without having to pay such a steep monthly premium.
Just keep in mind that with High Deductible Plan F, you will have to reach a deductible of $2,490 (the rate set for 2022) before your Medigap insurance kicks in and starts to cover your expenses.
While your premium will be lower with High Deductible Plan F than with Plan F, it is important to keep this high deductible in mind. Though a regular Medigap Plan F policy will have a higher monthly premium, some even come with $0 deductibles. That’s why it’s best to consider all of your Medigap options before making a decision.
Is Medigap Plan F discontinued?
You may have heard that Plan F, and consequently High Deductible Plan F, have been discontinued, though this is not exactly true. However, these plans are not available for individuals who became eligible for Medicare after January 1, 2020 (as is the case with Plan C).
However, if you were already eligible for Medicare any time before 2020 and either didn’t enroll in Medicare at the time or chose not to sign up for a Medigap Plan F policy when you enrolled, you may still be able to do so. And, if you have a Plan F and want to shop for a lower rate on new Plan F you can do so.
And don’t worry: if you are already enrolled in Medigap Plan F or High Deductible Plan F, you should be able to keep your coverage.
If you were interested in signing up for Medigap Plan F and are not eligible to do so, Plan G can be a great alternative.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to an experienced insurance agent here at Medicare Plans Direct to have all of your Medigap questions addressed.
