Page 2 - Cover letter and appendices for Michael D Johnson

In any case, I recommend that you 1) either try to get a Medigap policy in the next couple of
days that will become effective on November 1, or 2) that you get assurance from the insurance
company that you will be able to get a policy that will go into effect December 1. That might be
a signed form or written verification indicating that you are being issued a policy that will go
into effect on December 1. If possible, it would be better not to rely solely on the verbal
assurance of the agent or representative with whom you speak.

The important thing, of course, is that you get your Medigap policy (whether it’s effective
November 1 or December 1) without having to answer questions about your health or disclose
pre-existing conditions. And after you get your Medigap policy, show your enrollment card to
your physicians’ office staff. If your coverage goes into effect on November 1, of course, you
probably won’t receive your enrollment card for a couple of weeks.

Medigap Plan G is the best plan for you

The Medigap plan that best meets your needs is Plan G. Beginning in January, it will be the most
comprehensive of the Medigap plans. It covers all of Medicare’s gaps except for the Part B
deductible, which this year is $185. That means that after you’ve paid the Part B deductible, the
only costs you will have for Medicare-covered medical services are your premiums, which
should be about $160 a month or slightly less. Medigap policies do not cover routine vision and
dental care or hearing aids. Plan G includes some coverage for foreign travel emergencies.

The pricing of Medigap policies

When you get a Medigap policy, it’s good to give some thought as to the company that you will
buy your policy from and to make a few calls to get current quotes. While it’s important to
choose a company that has relatively low premiums, you may also want to factor in a
company’s financial strength and size. As a rule, larger companies have slightly lower annual
premium increases, according to a government study a few years ago.

In your case, you should also get a Medigap policy with a zero-waiting period. Insurance
companies that sell Medigap policies are allowed to impose a waiting period of up to 6 months
before covering pre-existing conditions. There are some insurers, however, that do have a
waiting period for their Medigap policy.

Also, the waiting period can be waived if you can show that you’ve had creditable medical
coverage (as you have). But getting this waiver requires that you submit proof of your
creditable medical coverage to the insurance company. Again, that’s no problem, but your
enrollment will probably proceed more quickly if you choose an insurance company that has
zero waiting days for its Medigap coverage. There are several insurers listed below that have
zero waiting days.

The premium comparisons in Appendix B1 are from the California Dept. of Insurance and
include each company’s toll-free enrollment number. The premiums shown in Appendix B2 are

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