Page 2 - Cover letter and evaluation for Janet Clayton
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plan that’s available to you. Your husband Michael has Plan F, but that plan is not available to
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people who turn 65 in 2020 or later (people whose 65 birthday was in 2019 or before can still
get Plan F). The reason for this change is a law that Congress passed three years ago and that is
summarized in Appendix B1.
Plan G is almost as comprehensive as Plan F, and the only difference is that Plan G does not
cover the Part B deductible ($198 this year). In the long run, Plan G will likely become a more
cost-effective choice as the number of Plan F policyholders gradually declines.
It might be helpful to review some features that all these policies share (you may already be
aware of these). They can be purchased during the first six months you have Part A and Part B
without your having to answer health-related questions. But after that six-month period has
past, if you want to acquire a Medigap policy, you will likely have to answer questions about
your health before receiving a quote. Those who have serious pre-existing conditions may not
be able to purchase a Medigap policy or upgrade from a less comprehensive to a more
comprehensive Medigap plan after this initial six-month period.
Perhaps the most desirable attribute of Medigap policies is the flexibility they offer. There are
no networks, and you will be covered when you see any provider who accepts Medicare (as
some 99% of doctors and public hospitals do). That means you will have the ability to go to
virtually any doctor, hospital or clinic in the U. S. and be covered.
Neither Dr. Chein nor Dr. Shainhouse is listed in the Medicare provider directory, but it’s
sometimes the case that doctors who accept Medicare are not listed, possibly because they are
part of a medical group. You might verify with these two doctors’ offices that they accept
Medicare. It’s likely that they do. Appendix A indicates that your other physicians accept
Medicare.
Medigap policies do not cover routine dental and vision care or hearing aids. Plans G and N in
your evaluation include some benefits for medical emergencies while traveling outside the
United States (as shown on pages 6-7).
Here are summaries of the four Medigap plans compared in your evaluation. They are listed in
the order of their comprehensiveness.
1) Medigap Plan G. This is the most comprehensive Medigap plan that you can get. After
you’ve paid the $198 Part B deductible, you won’t have any further payments for
Medicare-covered services during the year. The evaluation assumes that your premiums
for this plan will be about $1,800 a year, or $150 a month, although you may be able to
get a lower premium. Based on this $150 a month estimate, you would pay $1,200 for
the last eight months of 2020.
2) Medigap Plan N. This is a slightly less comprehensive plan than Plan G and it has some
small gaps (pages 6-7 show where these gaps are). People in relatively good health who
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