Original Medicare is fairly comprehensive health insurance, and it allows you to visit any doctor in the country who accepts Medicare, but it’s not perfect. For example, Medicare Part B requires you to pay a 20% coinsurance, which can be costly when added to other out-of-pocket expenses. To help with this, some beneficiaries choose to purchase a Connecticut Medicare Supplement Plans to fill the gaps in Original Medicare.
Private insurance companies offer Medicare Supplement Plans, which help pay for your Original Medicare out-of-pocket costs, such as the Part A deductible and the 20% coinsurance for Part B. And while these plans are sold by private insurers, Medicare Supplement Plans are standardized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which mandates that all plans with the same letter name provide the same benefit package throughout the country.
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With that being said, though, private insurance companies set the premiums for these plans, so it’s vital to shop around for the best deal by comparing both Medicare Supplement Plans and insurance carriers. EZ can help you compare both, but first, have a look at our explanation of how Medicare Supplement Plans operate in the state of Connecticut.
Connecticut Medicare Supplement Plans
If you need help paying for the out-of-pocket costs associated with Original Medicare, such as the 20% coinsurance you have to pay for Medicare Part B services, your best bet is to purchase a Connecticut Medicare Supplement Plan.
The first thing you need to know if you live in Connecticut and are in the market for a Medicare Supplement Plan is that there are 10 different standardized plans available in Connecticut, designated by letters A through N (A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N). Not every Medicare insurance company will offer all 10 plans, but every insurer is required to offer Plan A . In addition, it’s important to note that Plans C and F are available only to those who first qualified for Medicare prior to January 1, 2020.
You will pay monthly premiums for a Medicare Supplement Plan, but in return, you will have most of your out-of-pocket healthcare expenses covered. These monthly premiums can cost anywhere from $66 to $1,518 in Connecticut, depending on your plan choice and where you live.
It might feel hard to make a decision on a Medicare Supplement Plan, considering all the options available to you, but EZ can help. You can speak to one of our agents, and also take a look at the following rundown of the many plans available in Connecticut, including details on the coverage of each, and any costs associated with enrolling.
Plan A
Medicare Supplement Plan A provides the bare minimum coverage. However, it can be very beneficial if you’re looking to reduce your Original Medicare out-of-pocket expenses. This is because Plan A covers what is arguably the most essential thing you need covered. Which is the 20% of outpatient care that you’ll have to pay for outpatient services with Medicare Part B. All insurance companies that offer Medicare Supplement Plans must offer Plan A.
In the state of Connecticut, Plan A monthly premiums can cost anywhere from $182 to $1,518 per month.
Plan B
Medicare Supplement Plan B covers all the basics that Plan A does, including:
- Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs – Part A only fully covers your first 60 days of inpatient hospital stays in a benefit period; after that, you are required to pay a portion of your bills for each day after your initial 60 days. Days 61-90 have a coinsurance of $400 a day. If your stay is between 91 and 150 days, and you use your Lifetime Reserve days, your coinsurance will be $800 a day. Plan B covers 100% of these costs.
- Medicare Part B coinsurance or copay – You’ll typically have to pay Medicare Part B coinsurance for doctor visits and other outpatient care. That means Medicare Part B pays 80% of the Medicare-approved amount for covered services, leaving you to pay the remaining 20%. Plan B covers 100% of this.
- First 3 pints of blood – Original Medicare only pays for the fourth and subsequent pints of blood if you need blood during treatment. Plan B will pay for the first three pints.
- Part A hospice care and coinsurance – Hospice care is for patients who are nearing the end of their lives. These services are covered by Medicare, but copayments are required. These copayments include $5 for each symptom and pain relief medication prescription, as well as 5% of the Medicare-approved amount for inpatient assisted living. Plan B covers all expenses related to hospice care.
The one thing that makes Plan B a step up from Plan A is that it covers the Medicare Part A hospital deductible. The deductible for Medicare Part A in 2023 is $1,600. However, you need to meet it for every 60-day benefit period as opposed to annually. So, it is possible that you will have to pay it more than once in a single year. That means having a plan that covers this expense could be very helpful.
In the state of Connecticut, monthly Plan B premiums can cost anywhere from $267 to $1,027.
Plan C
Plan C is a very comprehensive Medicare Supplement Plan, and one of the best on the market. However, it isn’t available to all beneficiaries. This plan covers almost everything, with the exception of Medicare Part B excess charges. You will have to pay excess charges if your doctor does not accept Medicare assignment and chooses to charge more than the Medicare-approved amount for services. In this case, your doctor can charge you up to 15% more, and you will have to pay the difference. Plan C, while it covers most things, will not cover these excess charges.
So, with Plan C, your 20% coinsurance for all outpatient care will be covered, as well as your Parts A and B deductibles.
Plan C coverage includes the following:
- Part A hospital deductible and coinsurance
- Hospital costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are exhausted
- Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
- Blood (the first 3 pints)
- Other Medicare-approved expenses associated with Part A hospitalization
- Medicare Part B coinsurance and copayments
- Part B deductible
- Other Medicare-approved expenses associated with Part B coverage
Unfortunately, Medicare recipients who first became eligible for Medicare after January 2020 will no longer be able to enroll in Plan C. You can keep your Plan C coverage if you had it before January 1, 2020, and you might be able to purchase Plan C if you became eligible before that date.
Monthly premiums for Plan C in the state of Connecticut range from $376 to $436.
Plan D
Plan D covers the majority of out-of-pocket Original Medicare expenses, including :
- Part A hospital coinsurance and hospital costs up to an extra 365 days after Original Medicare benefits are exhausted
- Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
- Part B coinsurance
- First 3 pints of blood
- Skilled nursing facility (SNF) care coinsurance – After the 20th day of your stay as an inpatient in a skilled nursing facility, Medicare Part A requires you to pay coinsurance. Part A coinsurance for skilled nursing facility care is $200 per day in 2023. Part D will cover this coinsurance.
- Part A deductible
- 80% of foreign travel emergency costs (up to plan limits)
Medicare Part B excess charges and deductibles are not covered by Plan D. Plan D premiums for Connecticut residents range from $268 per month to $388 per month.
Plan F
Medicare Supplement Plan F is the most popular Medicare Supplement Plan and has been for a long time, but like Plan C, it is not available to all beneficiaries. Having this plan means you’ll only have to worry about the monthly Plan F premium to cover your healthcare costs. This plan covers the following:
- Part A hospital deductible and coinsurance
- Hospital costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are exhausted
- Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
- Blood (the first 3 pints)
- Other Medicare-approved expenses associated with Part A hospitalization
- Medicare Part B 20% coinsurance and copayments
- Medicare-approved doctor’s office fees
- Part B deductible
- Medicare Part B excess charges
- Other Medicare-approved expenses associated with Part B coverage
Again, if you become Medicare-eligible after 2020, you will not be able to enroll in Plan F. Anyone who first became eligible for Medicare prior to 2020 can buy one of these plans, and those who have already bought Plan F and are grandfathered in can keep their plan for as long as they like.
Medicare Supplement Plan F monthly premiums in Connecticut range from $260 to $799.
Plan G
Plan G is an excellent alternative to Plan F if you are not eligible to enroll in Plan F. Like Plan F, Plan G also covers:
- Part A coinsurance and hospital costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are used up
- Part A deductible
- Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
- Part B coinsurance or copayment
- Part B excess charges (if a provider is permitted to charge more than Medicare’s approved amount and does so)
- Blood transfusion (first 3 pints)
The only thing that Plan G doesn’t cover is your Medicare Part B deductible. Making it the most comprehensive plan available to new Medicare beneficiaries. In addition, Plan G premiums are typically much more affordable than Plan F premiums. In Connecticut, they range from $206 to $628 per month.
Plan K
Medicare Supplement Plan K helps pay for some of the costs of Original Medicare. However, it doesn’t offer full coverage. With that being said, though, it does have something that other plans do not: an out-of-pocket maximum. This means you won’t have to pay more than $6,620 (as of 2023) in a year for medical expenses. So, once you reach that amount, your insurer will cover your expenses in full.
Plan K covers a portion of the following until your reach your annual out-of-pocket maximum:
- Medicare Part B coinsurance – Plan K covers half of these costs, so you will be responsible for 50% of your 20% Part B coinsurance. For example, if your doctor charges $100 for a service, Medicare will cover $80, Plan K will cover $10, and you will cover the remaining $10.
- First 3 pints of blood
- Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment – Plan K will pay for half of these costs.
- Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance – Plan K pays half of the coinsurance for medical care in skilled nursing care facilities.
- Medicare Part A deductible – Medicare Supplement Plan K will pay half of these deductibles, or $800.
So, Plan K has generally higher costs than do other plans. However, it does have an out-of-pocket maximum. So, it might be right for you if you don’t currently need a lot of medical care but worry that a medical emergency could be a problem for you financially.
In addition, Plan K pays 100% of the Medicare Part A coinsurance that you pay if your hospital stay is more than 60 days. This is the only basic benefit that Plan K fully covers.
Plan K has lower premiums of $66 to $135 per month in Connecticut.
Plan L
Medicare Supplement Plan L helps pay some of the out-of-pocket costs of Original Medicare. However, at a higher percentage than Plan K. Additionally, Plan L has an annual out-of-pocket maximum, although it is lower than Plan K’s ($3,310 in 2023). Which would be helpful for you if you see the doctor more often.
Like Plan K, Plan L covers 100% of Medicare Part A coinsurance. It also covers a percentage of the following:
- Medicare Part B coinsurance – Plan L covers 75% of your Part B coinsurance.
- Blood – If you require blood while in the hospital, Plan L will cover 75% of the cost of the first three pints.
- Part A hospice care copayments – Plan L pays 75% of your Part A copays for hospice care.
- Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance – Plan L pays 75% of the $200 per day (after the 20th day of your stay) coinsurance for medical care in skilled nursing care facilities.
- Part A deductible – Medicare Supplement Plan L will cover 75% of your Part A deductibles for each 60-day benefit period . You must still meet your Medicare Part B deductible, which is $226 per year in 2023, if you choose Plan L.
Plan L premiums cost between $123 and $467 a month in Connecticut.
Plan M
Medicare Supplement Plan M helps with some but not all of the costs associated with Original Medicare.
Your Medicare Part A coinsurance will be covered in full by Medicare Supplement Plan M. In addition, it covers:
- Medicare Part B coinsurance – Plan M pays your Part B coinsurance and/or copayments in full.
- Blood – If you require blood while in the hospital, Medicare Supplement Plan M will cover the first three pints of blood in full.
- Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment – Plan M will cover all of your hospice care coinsurance and copays in full.
- Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance – Plan M covers the entire cost of Part A skilled nursing facility coinsurance.
- Part A deductible – Medicare Supplement Plan M will cover half of your Medicare Part A deductible. If you have Plan M, you will have to pay half of the $1,600 (or $800) deductible rather than the full $1,600.
Medicare Supplement Plan M premiums range from $232 to $608 per month in Connecticut.
Plan N
Plan N helps pay for most of the gaps in coverage found in Original Medicare. However, unlike other plans it usually requires you to pay copayments. The only exceptions to coverage include your Medicare Part B deductible ($226 in 2023) and Medicare Part B excess charges.
Since it is a comprehensive Plan, the following are all covered by Medicare Supplement Plan N:
- Medicare Part B coinsurance – Plan N will cover your Part B coinsurance costs in full, with the exception of a copayment of up to $20 for some office visits. For emergency room visits that do not result in an inpatient admission, a second copayment of up to $50 may be required.
- Blood – If you require blood while in the hospital, Medicare Supplement Plan N will cover the first three pints.
- Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment – Plan N pays your hospice care coinsurance and copayments in full.
- Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance – Your skilled nursing facility coinsurance will be fully covered by Medicare Supplement Plan N.
- Part A deductible – Medicare Supplement Plan N pays your $1,600 deductible in full for each 60-day benefit period.
- Foreign travel emergency care – Original Medicare typically does not cover medical care received outside of the United States. If you need emergency care while traveling outside of the United States, Medicare Supplement Plan N will cover 80% of the costs of qualified emergency medical care.
Prices for Plan N premiums can range from $160 to $398 a month in Connecticut.
When To Enroll
While there are technically multiple times when you can choose to enroll in a Medicare Supplement Plan, there is one time that will be most beneficial to you. This is your Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period. This is the 6-month window that opens up to you when you turn 65 and enroll in Original Medicare.
The reason that you should purchase during this time is that you will be given “guaranteed issue rights”. This means that insurers cannot use medical underwriting to determine eligibility or premiums. In other words, insurance companies will not be able to deny you coverage or charge you more because of health conditions. So, it’s important to take advantage of your Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period.
If you are under 65 and on Medicare, you should know that Connecticut is one of the states that requires insurers to offer Medicare Supplement Plans to people under the age of 65 who have a qualifying disability.
How To Choose
When it comes to Medicare coverage, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Speak to an EZ agent who can explain everything to you and tell you what you need to do to sign up. EZ can assist you in enrolling in Medicare, comparing Medicare Supplement Plans, or simply weighing your options. Our agents also work with the best insurance companies in the country. They can provide you with a free comparison of all available plans in your area. We will go over your medical and financial needs with you and help you find a plan that works for you. To get started, simply enter your zip code in the box below or give one of our licensed agents a call at 877-670-3602.
