Page 2 - Cover Letter and Evaluation for Paul Stelter

want your coverage to begin on January 1 and specify the exact name of the plan
you want to enroll in.

 If you want to get a Medigap policy and a Part D stand-alone plan, you should
first decide which Medigap plan you want – Medigap Plan F, Plan N or another
plan. We suggest that you call at least three insurance and get current quotes
before choosing the company you’ll get your policy from. Each company’s phone
number and premiums are shown in Appendix B1.

 And if you get a Medigap policy, you’ll also need to enroll in the Part D stand-
alone plan that has low costs for your Rx drugs. You can call the plan’s toll-free
number, which is shown on page 4 of the evaluation.

Making sure your doctors accept the plan you enroll in

Based on the information shown in Appendix A, it seems likely that your physicians will accept
any of the coverage options compared in your evaluation. Once you’ve decided on the plan you
will enroll in, we suggest that before you enroll you confirm with your doctors’ offices that they
will accept this coverage.

If you get a Medigap policy, your doctors need to accept Medicare (also called original
Medicare or traditional Medicare). Almost all providers accept Medicare, although there are a
few who will accept Medicare Advantage plans but not original Medicare. Both your physicians
are listed in the Medicare provider directory as accepting Medicare-approved rates.

The two Medigap plans in your evaluation

Two of the four options compared in your evaluation are Medigap policies – Medigap Plan F
and Medigap Plan N. It might be helpful to review certain features that all Medigap policies
share (you may already be aware of these). 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). With a Medigap policy, you can go to virtually any doctor, public hospital or clinic in the
United States and you’ll be covered.

Another strength of Medigap policies is that Medicare, not the insurance company, makes the
coverage decisions. And if Medicare approves a service or treatment, the Medigap insurer must
also cover it, up to policy limits. Because Medicare is more lenient in approving certain
treatments than are insurance companies, Medigap policyholders may in some cases be
covered for treatments that people in Advantage plans may not be (the Advantage plan could
say that the treatment is not medically necessary). For that reason, people with pre-existing
conditions will usually get a Medigap policy if they are comfortable paying its higher premiums.

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