Medigap Plan A Supplemental Insurance

Christian Worstell
In this article...
  • Medigap Plan A policies help cover certain medical costs not covered by Original Medicare. Learn more about the benefits of this supplemental insurance plan.

Medigap Plan A is a supplemental Medicare insurance policy that beneficiaries can purchase through private insurers to help fill in coverage gaps in Original Medicare, Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B insurance. Medicare beneficiaries may prefer Medigap Plan A because it generally has lower monthly premium costs when compared to subsequent Medigap plans, and it's considered the most basic of all Medigap plans. 

What Is Covered in Medigap Plan A?

Medigap Plan A supplemental insurance generally covers coinsurance payments for inpatient hospital stays for up to 365 days after Original Medicare benefits are exhausted and hospital-approved costs for days 151 through 365 of a beneficiary's hospital stay. In most cases, Medigap Plan A also helps cover 20% coinsurance for Part B medical costs, and the costs of the first 3 pints of blood that aren't covered by Medicare. 

What Is Not Covered in Medigap Plan A?

Medigap Plan A does not cover Medicare Part A and Part B deductibles or skilled nursing care coinsurance costs. Medigap Plan A only covers core policy benefits, and it offers the minimum amount of benefits when compared to the other Medigap supplement plans.

In Which Medicare Supplemental Policies Are the Core Benefits Found? 

Medicare's core benefits are found in all Medigap policies: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, N, HD-G and HD-F. Every Medigap policy must provide coverage for coinsurance for days 61 to 90 of a beneficiary's hospital stay in each benefit period. It also pays the coinsurance for days 91 to 150 of an extended hospital stay, which is helpful because Medicare only covers this one per lifetime. Medigap policies are generally also responsible for all hospital-approved expenses for days 151 through 365 of a beneficiary's hospital stay. 

Is Medigap Plan A the Same As Medicare Part A? 

Medicare Part A is completely different from Medigap Plan A. Medicare Part A is a part of Original Medicare that provides coverage for inpatient hospital care, home health care, hospice care and skilled nursing facility care. Medigap plans are sold by private insurance companies and designed to help fill in coverage gaps for Original Medicare. 

Is Medigap Plan A Available for People Under 65?

Medigap Plan A is available to any individuals under age 65 who are currently on Medicare due to a disability. However, insurance premiums for those under 65 and on Medigap Plan A may be up to three times higher than the premiums for those over 65. This is because individuals with disability coverage tend to have higher medical expenses than beneficiaries who sign up with Medicare after they turn 65.

What Are the 12 Standardized Medigap Supplemental Plans?

The 12 Medigap supplemental plans standardized by the Federal Government are alphabetized as A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, N, HD-G and HD-F. These supplemental plans are available in most states, but it's important for Medicare recipients considering a Medigap plan to verify costs and availability with their plan providers. Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin offer Medigap policies that are standardized differently than other states, and Plan F and Plan G may come with higher deductibles. 

Christian Worstell
About the Author

Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with HelpAdivsor.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.

Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.

While at HelpAdvisor, Christian has written hundreds of articles that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.

Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.

A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. You can find Christian’s most recent articles in our blog.

If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@MyHelpAdvisor.com.

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