Ohio Medicare Supplements: What Do They Cover and How Do They Work

Ohio Medicare Supplement plans are designed to fill in the “gaps” in Medicare, so that you have very few (if any) out of pocket costs. When taking into account coverage from Medicare and the Medigap plan, you will have complete (or almost complete) coverage if you have one of the top levels of Medigap plans (i.e. Plan F or G). All Medigap plans must go by the Federal Medigap chart. You can view the chart here Medigap coverage chart.

In all, there are ten different standardized plans. Although these plans are standardized from company to company, some of the plans are considered to be “more” coverage than others and are more advantageous than others: Medigap Plan F, Plan G, and Plan N are the most common plans (and the plans offered by most insurance companies). No matter which coverage plan you do choose, you will receive the Federally-standardized benefits as conveyed in the standardized plans chart. This makes comparing the plans from company to company very easy to do. 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. While most people choose this option, it is not always the most advantageous. Often, Plan G can be, depending on the premium where you live, a better option and a better value.

No matter which company you decide on or how you purchase the policy, the plan will work the same way. Here are a few commonalities between the plans, regardless of company:

  • First of all, and most importantly, you will not be restricted to a certain network. With Medigap plans, there are never any networks that you must stay within when using your Ohio Medigap. You can go to any doctor/hospital nationwide, and there are no restrictions as long as the facility takes Medicare. In short, all doctors/hospitals that take Medicare are required to take the standardized Medicare Supplement plans that are sold here.
  • Second of all, you are not involved in any way in the claims process. All claims that you have are paid/processed through the Medicare “crossover” system. This system is in place (for Ohio and nationwide) so that you do not have to file claims yourself or do anything to ensure timely payment of the claims.

Ohio Medigap Comparison

Because of the aforementioned facts that coverage, doctor acceptance, and claims payments are standardized with all Medicare Supplement companies, there are two things that are the most important when comparing the plans: price and company reputation. These two factors 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.

It is obviously not plausible to contact all of the companies (about 25-30!) that offer Medicare Supplements in Ohio; however, you can easily obtain a chart showing rates from an independent brokerage/agent. This allows you to compare all of the plans in a centralized, unbiased place. A good, well-versed independent agent should also be able to give you information that you can not get from the companies themselves – i.e. 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 an Ohio Medigap quote.

Special State-Specific Implications for Ohio

As we’ve established above, coverage is the same with all companies offering Medigap insurance nationwide. That said, there are some specific guidelines that you should be familiar with regarding Medicare Supplement plans here in Ohio:

  • Ohio 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 higher rates (with nearly all companies) based on tobacco use; HOWEVER, these do not apply in Ohio when you are in open enrollment or “guaranteed issue”.
  • Almost all companies have gender-specific rates. When the companies do, female rates are typically 5-10% lower than the male rates. One notable exception is (REDACTED), which does not have gender-specific rates and is very competitively priced in OH.
  • Ohio 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.
  • There are several rating areas in Ohio, with most companies. In most cases, rates are higher in urban areas but this is not always the case. Your rate is always determined by your zip code, so you don’t just pay the statewide rate – there are rates specific to your zip code.

Obtaining a Ohio Medigap Plan

Getting your Ohio Medicare Supplement plan lined up is easy to do, particularly 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.)

Once you decide that you are ready to move forward or even 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 (Medicare-Supplement.US, an independent agency), which will include the top-priced options for your age and zip code and company ratings, simply request the information online using: Ohio Medicare Supplement Quotes. We can promptly provide the information you are seeking so you can compare multiple quotes in a centralized place and make an informed decision.

Ohio Medigap: Top Companies Available Here

NOTE: There are certainly several other companies that offer Ohio Medigap However, the companies listed above are the ones that are currently (2012) the most competitively priced.