Medicare Supplement Plans are sold by private insurance companies to fill the coverage gaps left by Medicare Parts A and B. And they typically offer much-needed coverage for your Part A deductible and your 20% Part B coinsurance. While they are sold by private insurers, Florida Medicare Supplement Plans are regulated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Which requires that all plans with the same letter name provide the same benefit coverage nationwide. That means you’ll always know what you’re getting with one of these plans.
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With that being said, though, premiums can vary based on the insurance company you select. So, it is essential to compare both Florida Medicare Supplement Plans and insurers to find the best plan for you. EZ can assist you with comparing both options. But before doing so, please review our guide to Florida Medicare Supplement Plans.
Florida Medicare Supplement Plans
If you need supplemental coverage to bridge any gaps in Original Medicare, the best option for you is to sign up for a Medicare Supplement Plan. This is especially true if you’re struggling with the 20% coinsurance that you pay each time you use Medicare Part B services.
If you are looking for a Medicare Supplement Plan, the first thing you need to be aware of is that there are 10 standardized plans available in the state of Florida, and each of these plans is named after a different letter of the alphabet (A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N). Customers of all insurance companies are guaranteed to have access to Plan A. It’s also important to note that Plans C and F can only be purchased by individuals who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.
Medicare Supplement Plans in the state of Florida have monthly premiums that can run anywhere from $92 to $251, depending on the specific plan and location.
With so many options available, it can be difficult to keep everything straight. So, to start you off on the right foot, we have broken down each plan, including what they cover and how they operate in the state of Florida.
Plan A
Medicare Supplement Plan A is the most basic option on the market. But even though it’s a basic plan, it will cover what is perhaps the most essential thing that Florida Medicare Supplement Plans cover, which is the 20% of outpatient care that Medicare Part B requires you to pay. Plan A must be made available by all Medicare insurers. However, in some areas, insurers do not have to make it available to Medicare beneficiaries under the age of 65 who are receiving disability benefits.
In the state of Florida, monthly premiums for Plan A start at $157.
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 makes Plan B less basic than Plan A is that it covers your Medicare Part A hospital deductible, which Plan A does not. The deductible for Medicare Part A is $1,600 for each 60-day benefit period in 2023. Since you must meet this deductible for each benefit period (as opposed to annually), you may be required to pay this deductible more than once in a single year. That means having a plan that covers this could be very helpful to you.
In the state of Florida, monthly premiums for Plan B start at $185.
Plan C
This Medicare Supplement Plan is among the most comprehensive options on the market, but it is not available to all beneficiaries. Plan C covers almost everything, with the exception of Medicare Part B excess charges. You’ll have to pay excess charges if you see a doctor who does not accept Medicare, and they choose to charge you more than the Medicare-approved amount. They can charge you up to 15% more, and the difference would be your responsibility. Only a select few plans cover excess charges, Plan C is not one of them.
But because Plan C is otherwise so comprehensive, your Parts A and B deductibles, in addition to the 20% coinsurance that you would ordinarily be responsible for paying for all outpatient services, will be covered by Plan C.
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 enrollees who became eligible for Medicare after January 1, 2020 are no longer eligible for Plan C. If you had Plan C before that date, you can keep it, and if you were eligible for Medicare prior to January 1, 2020 but didn’t enroll then, you may still be able to buy it.
In the state of Florida, monthly premiums for Plan C start at $221.
Plan D
Medicare Supplement Plan D covers the majority of out-of-pocket expenses associated with Original Medicare 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 A deductible
- 80% of foreign travel emergency costs (up to plan limits)
Plan D does not cover Medicare Part B deductibles or Part B excess charges; other than that, it is one of the more comprehensive plans available.
In Florida, the monthly premiums for Plan D typically begin at a rate of $201 per month.
Plan F
Plan F has consistently been the most popular choice, but it is no longer available to all beneficiaries. It covers all of your out-of-pocket expenses. Which means that if you have this plan, you will only be responsible for paying your monthly Plan F premium.
Plan F 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, the only caveat is that anyone who became eligible for Medicare after 2020 will not be able to sign up for Plan F. You are entitled to purchase one of these plans if you were eligible for Medicare before the year 2020. If you have previously purchased Plan F and are grandfathered in, you can keep it for as long as you wish.
In the state of Florida, the lowest premium for Plan F will be $212 a month.
Plan G
If you like the sound of Plan F, but are not eligible to purchase one of those plans, look into Plan G. This plan covers almost everything that Plan F does, including:
- 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 Medicare Part B deductible is the only thing that Plan G doesn’t cover. The good news is that rates for Plan G are typically quite competitive, with premiums starting at $201 in Florida. This means that this plan is generally a better value than Plan F.
Plan K
Your out-of-pocket costs for Original Medicare will be lower thanks to Plan K. However, this plan does not entirely fill the gaps in coverage. But it does have one major selling point: it has an annual out-of-pocket maximum. Meaning once you spend $6,620 in a given year, Plan K will cover all of your remaining approved costs.
Until then, Plan K will only pay for half of certain costs, including:
- 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 pay 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, with Plan K, you will be responsible for more out-of-pocket expenses at the time of service. But your out-of-pocket maximum will mean that you won’t have to be buried in medical debt if you need to access services more than you thought you would.
In addition, while Plan K pays for the majority of expenses at a rate of just 50%, it does cover the entire coinsurance from Medicare Part A. This is the only basic benefit that Medicare Supplement Plan K will pay for in its entirety.
The Plan K premiums begin at $92 per month in the state of Florida.
Plan L
Like Plan K, Medicare Supplement Plan L covers the majority of the costs associated with Original Medicare. However, it only covers a certain percentage of them, although it covers a higher percentage than does Plan K. It also has an out-of-pocket maximum, which is lower than Plan K’s ($3,310 in 2023). Which means that once you have reached that threshold, your insurer will begin paying the remaining balance of your bills in full.
The Medicare Supplement Plan L covers Medicare Part A coinsurance and all hospital charges in full. In addition to that, it pays for some 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 start at $143 a month in Florida.
Plan M
Medicare Supplement Plan M covers the bulk of the expenses associated with Original Medicare. But does not cover all of them.
Medicare Supplement Plan M will pay for all of your Medicare Part A coinsurance, as well as your hospital costs. In addition to this, 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.
Plan M premiums start at $194 a month in Florida.
Plan N
Medicare Supplement Plan N fills the majority of the coverage gaps in Original Medicare. The only things it doesn’t cover are the Medicare Part B deductible ($226 in 2023) and any Medicare Part B excess charges. Which are portions of doctor bills that exceed the Medicare-approved amount. But, unlike with other plans, you might have to pay copayments.
Since it is so comprehensive, Plan N covers the following:
- 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.
Plan N premiums start at $145 a month in Florida.
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. Which 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.
It’s important to note that federal regulations do not guarantee access to a Medicare Supplement Plan if you are under 65 and eligible for Medicare due to a 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 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 start, simply enter your zipcode in the bar below or give one of our licensed agents a call at 877-670-3602.
