Page 2 - Cover Letter and Evaluation for Richard Hain

 To enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can either call 800-MEDICARE to
enroll or you can call the plan’s toll-free number, shown on pages 3-4 of your
evaluation.

 If you decide to get a Medigap policy and a Part D stand-alone plan, you can
enroll in the Part D plan by calling 800-MEDICARE or by calling the plan’s toll-free
enrollment number, shown on page 4 of your evaluation. Before getting a
Medigap policy, it’s a good idea to call a minimum of three insurance companies
for quotes before deciding which company you will buy from. The companies’
phone numbers are shown in Appendix B1.

Medigap policies

Your evaluation includes comparisons of two Medigap plans – Plan G and Plan N. It might help
to review some features that all Medigap policies share (you may already be aware of these).
These policies can be purchased during the first six months that you have Part A and Part B
without your having to answer health-related questions. During this period insurance
companies can, however, adjust your premiums for age, gender, and smoking status.

After that six-month period guaranteed-issue period is past, you will likely have to answer
questions about your health before you can get a Medigap policy. Some people with serious
pre-existing conditions could pay more or even be denied coverage if they are past their initial
six-month guaranteed issue period. Many individuals, though, wait until they are into their 70s
or even 80s to get their first Medigap policy, and most of them are accepted for coverage.

Perhaps the most desirable attribute of Medigap policies is the flexibility they offer. You do not
need referrals to see specialists and will be covered when you see any provider who accepts
Medicare (as more than 98% of doctors and public hospitals do). Because Medigap policies are
nationally standardized, your benefits and coverage are the same in every state.

If you get a Medigap policy, you will also need to enroll in a Part D stand-alone drug plan. And
Medigap policies do not cover routine dental and vision care or hearing aids. Both Plan G and
Plan N include some benefits for medical emergencies while traveling outside the United
States. The benefit designs for all 10 Medigap plans are shown on pages 6-7. Here are
summaries of the two Medigap plans in your evaluation.

1) Medigap Plan G. This is a comprehensive plan that covers all of Medicare’s gaps except
for the Part B deductible, which is $183 this year. Each year once you’ve paid this
deductible you will have no further co-payments or cost-sharing for Medicare-covered
service. There are two even more comprehensive plans – Plan F and Plan C – that cover
the Part B deductible and that are slightly more expensive. Plans F and C will no longer
be sold beginning in 2020, although people who already own the plans at that time may
continue to keep them.

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