Managing Medicare Out-of-Pocket Costs

This week, Craig Siminski, of CMS Retirement Income Planning, shares with us an article discussing the two different and mutually exclusive options Medicare beneficiaries have to help control retirement health-care spending: Medigap and Medicare Advantage:

Medicare covers only 60% of total health-care costs for Americans age 65 and older.

Deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and payments for services not covered by Medicare can result in substantial out-of-pocket expenses. And there is no annual or lifetime out-of-pocket limit.

Whether you are already enrolled in Medicare or planning to enroll in the future, you may want to consider two options to help manage out-of-pocket costs: Medigap and Medicare Advantage. Both are offered by private insurance companies approved and regulated by Medicare. They are mutually exclusive — you cannot be covered by both — but either might provide more stability to your health-care spending in retirement.

Supplemental Insurance

Medigap supplements coverage under Original Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance), and you must be enrolled in Part A and Part B in order to buy a Medigap policy. These policies pay nearly all or a percentage of Medicare out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles, copays, and coinsurance.

Some plans may pay for services not covered by Medicare, such as emergency medical care outside the United States (up to plan limits), but they generally do not cover…

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Craig Siminski is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, with more than 25 years of experience. His goal is to provide families, business owners, and their employees with assistance in building their financial freedom.

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