The Best Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans in Nebraska

65% of Nebraska residents with Original Medicare enroll in Medicare Supplement (also called Medigap) insurance plans to boost their health care coverage.¹

Medicare Supplement is also known as Medigap because it covers some of the gaps in Medicare coverage. The federal government pays for most essential medical costs, such as hospital stays, physician consultations, diagnostic tests and treatment for illnesses, but you must still pay a portion. Nebraska Medigap plans cover some of these deductibles and coinsurance payments. Some plans also include additional benefits such as foreign travel emergency care.

What Are the Best Nebraska Medicare Supplement Plans?

Medicare Supplement insurance is privately sold, with an array of insurance providers in Nebraska that deliver this coverage. To make it easier for you to pick a plan, there are 10 standardized Medigap plan designs sold in Nebraska. 

All plans with the same letter name provide identical benefits. Nebraska insurance companies can only sell these specific combinations of benefits, but they have the freedom to set their own premiums. You can review the included chart to see which benefits are included in each plan. Here are some key points to help you get started:

• Plan A offers minimal coverage, including coinsurance and copays for Part A hospital and hospice care, and Part B medical costs.
• Plan B is the next most basic plan, covering the same benefits as Plan A plus the Medicare Part A deductible.
• Plans C and F aren't available to anyone eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. New federal regulations require new enrollees to pay their own Part B deductibles.
• Plans F and G see high enrollment in Nebraska because they provide the most extensive coverage. This includes coinsurance if your doctor decides you need skilled nursing care, emergency care if you're outside of the country and fees a health care provider charges above Medicare limits. New Medicare enrollees can choose Plan G instead of Plan F because it doesn't include the Part B deductible.
• Plan N usually has more affordable premiums. Cost-sharing is required for some doctor appointments and emergency department visits, but otherwise, Plan N covers 100% of most Part B coinsurance and copays.

How Do I Enroll in a Nebraska Medigap Plan?

Nebraska residents who want Medigap coverage should join a plan as soon as they're eligible. You have a six-month Medigap open enrollment period that begins once you are:

• 65 or over
• Enrolled in Medicare Part B

During this open enrollment period, you have the widest choice of plans and the best rates and don't need to pass a health exam to enjoy these protections. Insurance companies in Nebraska must sell you the Medicare Supplement plan of your choice during your Medigap open enrollment period. Once you're enrolled, the plan is guaranteed to be renewable as long as you pay your premiums and keep your coverage up to date. 

The insurer can impose a six-month, pre-existing condition waiting period before the company covers out-of-pocket costs related to that specific health problem, but after six months, the plan must cover your costs. 

You only get one Medigap open enrollment period during your lifetime. Outside of this period, you can still apply for Medicare Supplement insurance, but insurers can underwrite your application, charge any premiums and limit coverage based on a health exam. 

The only other times you have protections similar to a Medigap open enrollment period is if you have other insurance — such as a union plan, Medicare Advantage, or another Medigap policy — that changes in some way. For example:

• Your plan leaves Medicare or goes bankrupt.
• Your plan no longer covers your service area.
• You move out of your plan's service area.
• Your employer plan is ending.
• You're in a Medicare Advantage trial right period and decide to return to Original Medicare.

In these situations, you may qualify for guaranteed issue rights. The insurance provider can't underwrite your application as long as you apply for new Medigap coverage within a certain period of time.