Louisiana Medigap: What Is It and How Does It Work?

Louisiana Medicare Supplement plans fill in the “gaps” in Medicare. There is a total of 10 different plans that can be purchased, and they are sold through private insurance companies to “supplement” Medicare. Each plan of the 10 is Federally-standardized. This just means that coverage is the same for all companies for a “like” plan, which makes comparing the plans easy to do. You can view the standardized coverage chart here Medigap coverage chart.

Of the 10 different plan designs, some of the plans are more common and advantageous than others: Medigap Plan F, Plan G, and Plan N are the most common plans (and the plans offered by most insurance companies). With all options, some or all of the gaps in Medicare are accounted for so that your out of pocket costs are minimized, or in some cases, eliminated completely. Medigap Plan F is the most comprehensive option and is often viewed as the most advantageous – it pays both Medicare deductibles (Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B), as well as the 20% that Medicare itself doesn’t cover at the doctor and hospital. However, Plan G is sometimes, depending on the premium where you live, a better option and a better value.

No matter which company sells you your Medigap plan, the plan itself will work the same way:

  • First of all, there are no networks with Medigap. Any doctor that takes Medicare, nationwide, is required to take the Medigap plans, regardless of company. So, buying a plan because your doctor says he is familiar with it may make you feel better about it, but is not important to do. Additionally, because Medicare is a Federal program and the plans are Federally-standardized, coverage is the same in each state if you travel.
  • Secondly, you do not have to file/pay claims yourself. This is all handled through the Medicare “crossover” system. This system ensures timely payment of the claims, no matter which company is insuring you.

Louisiana Medigap Comparison

Because these three things are the same with all companies – coverage, doctor acceptance, and claims payments – the two things of utmost importance to compare when looking at a Medigap insurance are: price and company reputation. These can both vary greatly from company to company and they should be the basis for your decision on a company, when dealing with Medicare Supplement insurance.

While it would be impossible on your own to contact all 40+ companies that offer Medicare Supplements in Louisiana (and many companies don’t give rates over the phone, only in person), you can easily obtain a chart showing rates from an independent brokerage/agent, typically by email. This allows you to compare all of the plans in a centralized, unbiased place. An independent agent can also give you information about plan customer service, rate increase history, and other factors that you are not able to obtain from the companies themselves.

Medicare-Supplement.US can help you compare plans by providing a customized rate quote analysis by email. This allows you to see rates and company ratings in a centralized place and will greatly assist in your understanding of the options. To have a rate quote analysis emailed to you, just request a Louisiana Medigap quote.

Louisiana State-Specific Medigap Implications

As we’ve discussed, Medicare Supplement plans are Federally-standardized. So, Louisiana plan designs are the same as plans in other states. However, there are some state-specific guidelines, etc. that do impact Medigap plans in Louisiana:

  • Louisiana DOES NOT use tobacco usage as an underwriting criteria when you are turning 65 or in open enrollment or “guaranteed issue” period (many states do). There are no underwriting limitations, or higher rates, based on any pre-existing conditions or factors like tobacco use, when you are in open enrollment or “guaranteed issue”.
  • In nearly all cases in LA, most companies have gender-specific rates. When they do, female rates are typically 5-10% lower than the male rates.
  • Additionally, Louisiana Medicare Supplements do permit household discounts to be applied on the plans. This is something to consider, if you are applying with a Medicare-eligible spouse. There are some companies (Mutual of Omaha, Family Life, to name a few) that do offer household discounts. This can definitely mean the difference in one company over another when comparing costs.

How to Get a Louisiana Medigap Plan

Getting a Louisiana Medicare Supplement plan lined up is easy to do. If you are in a special enrollment period, such as open enrollment (turning 65 or signing up for Medicare Part B) or “guaranteed issue” (losing employer coverage, losing Advantage plan coverage, moving to a new state, etc.), you do not even need to answer medical questions or go through medical underwriting. In this case, you just simply need to complete an application and wait for your insurance cards in the mail.

If you are ready to sign up for a plan, simply compare the options, including rates and company ratings, select a plan and sign up. To get a rate quote comparison from us, which will include the top-priced options for your age and zip code and company ratings, simply request the information online using: Louisiana Medicare Supplement Quotes. We can provide the information you are seeking so you can compare multiple quotes in a centralized place and make an informed decision.

Louisiana Medigap: Competitively-Priced Companies Available Here

NOTE: Obviously there are more companies that do Medicare Supplement plans in LA than the ones listed above. However, this is a starting point of the most competitively priced companies available currently.