Original Medicare gives you good medical coverage and allows you to see any doctor in the country who takes Medicare. Making it a great program that has kept millions of older adults like you healthy and financially secure. But some Medicare recipients find it hard to pay for the 20% Part B coinsurance and other out-of-pocket costs. So, if you’re in this boat, you’ll want to look into a Kansas Medicare Supplement Plan.
Private insurance companies sell Kansas Medicare Supplement Plans to fill the gaps left by Medicare Parts A and B. These plans often cover your Part A deductible and your 20% Part B coinsurance, making them highly beneficial.
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But while these plans are sold by private companies, the government does standardize them. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ensures that all plans with the same letter name cover the same benefits everywhere in the country. With that being said, premiums can vary depending on the insurance company you choose. So, it’s important to compare both Medicare Supplement Plans and insurance companies to find the best one for you. EZ can help you compare both, but first take a look at our guide to how Kansas Medicare Supplement Plans work.
Kansas Medicare Supplement Plans
If you need extra coverage to fill in any gaps in Original Medicare, like the 20% coinsurance you have to pay every time you use Medicare Part B services, your best option is a Medicare Supplement Plan.
So, if you’re looking for a Medicare Supplement Plan, the first thing you should know is that there are 10 standardized plans available for purchase in Kansas. Each of which is named after a letter of the alphabet (A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N). All insurance companies have to offer Plan A to beneficiaries. Plans C and F can only be bought by people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.
In Kansas, monthly premiums range from $55 to $531, depending on your plan and where you live. For this price, you will get some, or most, of your Original Medicare out-of-pocket expenses covered.
With so many choices, it might be hard to keep track of everything. So, to help you get started, we’ve explained what each plan covers and how much you can expect to pay in Kansas.
Plan A
Plan A is sold by all Kansas Medicare Supplement Insurance companies and is the most basic plan that you can get. But even though it’s simple, it will cover the 20% of outpatient services that Medicare doesn’t pay for. This is arguably the most important thing that Medicare Supplement Plans cover.
In Kansas, monthly premiums for Plan A range from $102 to $531.
Plan B
Plan B is slightly less basic than Plan A. It covers everything 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 that. 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 outpatient care. That means Medicare Part B pays 80% of the Medicare-approved amount for covered services. Meaning you 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 services are covered by Medicare, but copayments are required. These copayments include $5 for each prescription. As well as 5% of the Medicare-approved amount for inpatient assisted living. Plan B covers all expenses related to hospice care.
However, Plan B also covers the Medicare Part A hospital deductible, which Plan A does not. The Part A deductible for Medicare in 2023 is $1,600 per benefit period. This is especially true since this deductible isn’t charged once a year, but every 60 days, so you may have to pay it more than once in a year. That means having a plan that covers this could be very helpful.
In Kansas, monthly premiums for Plan B range from $134 to $379.
Plan C
This is one of the most comprehensive Kansas Medicare Supplement Plans on the market, but it is not available to all Medicare recipients. Plan C covers everything but Medicare Part B excess charges, meaning that it covers both your Parts A and B deductibles and the 20% coinsurance you’d normally have to pay for all outpatient care. Included in the coverage are 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 beneficiaries 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 before Jan. 1, 2020 but haven’t yet enrolled, you may still be able to buy it.
In Kansas, Plan C premiums cost between $139 to $421 a month.
Plan D
Plan D covers the majority of medical 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 A deductible
- 80% of foreign travel emergency costs (up to plan limits)
Medicare Part B deductibles and excess charges are not covered by Plan D. If your doctor refuses to accept Medicare assignment, they will be able to charge you more than the amount Medicare will pay for the service, and you will be responsible for the difference, known as an excess charge. Some plans cover this difference, but Plan D is not one of them.
In Kansas, Plan D premiums can range from $122 to $315 per month.
Plan F
Plan F has consistently been the most popular choice among Medicare beneficiaries, but it is no longer available to everyone. It covers all of your out-of-pocket expenses, which means that if you have this plan, you will only be responsible for paying the monthly premium for Plan F. The following are all covered by Plan F:
- 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
The only catch is that people who became eligible for Medicare after the year 2020 will not be able to sign up for Plan F. You are eligible to purchase one of these plans if you became eligible for Medicare before the year 2020. If you have already purchased Plan F and are grandfathered in, you can keep it for as long as you like.
In Kansas, monthly premiums for Plan F coverage range anywhere from $133 to $458.
Plan G
If you like the sound of Plan F, but are not eligible to purchase one of these 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 only thing Plan G doesn’t cover is the Medicare Part B deductible. And the good news is that Plan G premiums are frequently very competitive, with premiums ranging from $116 to $383 in Kansas, making these plans a better value than Plan F.
Plan K
Your out-of-pocket costs for Original Medicare will be lower thanks to Medicare Supplement Plan K, but this plan does not entirely fill the coverage gaps. Plan K will only pay for half of certain costs, until the point when you reach your out-of-pocket maximum. A percentage of the following are covered:
- 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. Plan K requires you to pay the Medicare Part B deductible, which is $226 in 2023.
But, while Plan K requires you to pay more out-of-pocket at the point of service, there is something that Plan K has that other plans don’t: an out-of-pocket maximum. This means the most you’ll have to pay out-of-pocket in a year for Plan K is $6,620 (as of 2023). When you reach this limit, Medicare Supplement Plan K will cover the remaining approved costs for the rest of the year. Your maximum will be reset at the start of each calendar year.
Additionally, while Plan K covers most expenses at only 50%, it actually covers all of the Medicare Part A cost-sharing measure known as coinsurance, so you won’t have to pay anything out-of-pocket if you have to stay in the hospital for more than 60 days. This is the only basic benefit that Medicare Supplement Plan K fully covers.
Because of its higher out-of-pocket costs, Plan K’s premiums are in the lower range, costing between $55 and $148 a month in Kansas.
Plan L
Like Plan K, Medicare Supplement Plan L covers the majority of the costs associated with Original Medicare, but it does not cover all of those costs – although it covers them at a higher percentage than does Plan K. It also has an out-of-pocket maximum, which is lower than Plan K’s at $3,310 in 2023. This means that after you have paid that amount in covered medical expenses for the year, your insurance company will begin paying the remaining balance of your medical bills.
Medicare Supplement Plan L covers your entire Medicare Part A coinsurance as well as all hospital costs. 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 cost between $70 and $310 a month in Kansas.
Plan M
Medicare Supplement Plan M, much like Plans K and L, covers the majority of the costs associated with Original Medicare, but does not cover all of them.
Medicare Supplement Plan M will cover all of your Medicare Part A coinsurance as well as your hospital costs. In addition to this, it takes care of:
- 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.
Prices for Plan M premiums range from $83 to $353 a month in Kansas.
Plan N
Plan N fills the majority of the coverage gaps in Original Medicare. But you might have to pay copayments for some services, unlike with other plans. The only other exceptions to its coverage are the Medicare Part B deductible, which is $226 in 2023, and any Medicare Part B excess charges, which refer to the portions of a doctor’s bill that are higher than the Medicare-approved amount. This means that Medicare Supplement Plan N provides coverage for everything listed below:
- 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, you may have to pay a second copayment of up to $50.
- 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 can range from $88 to $347 a month in Kansas.
When To Enroll
If you want to enroll in a Medicare Supplement Plan, you should be aware that you’ll have a 6-month window when you turn 65 and enroll in Original Medicare to enroll in a plan. During this time, coverage for Medicare Supplement Plans is guaranteed issue. This means that, if you enroll in a plan during this time, insurance companies will not be able to deny you or charge you more for coverage because of your health. It’s important to take advantage of this Open Enrollment Period to ensure that you get the best plan possible.
We should 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. Kansas, though, is among the states that have rules in place to ensure that enrollees under the age of 65 have at least some access to Medicare Supplement Plans.
In fact, Kansas’ consumer protections are among the best in the country. All Medicare beneficiaries in Kansas, including those who become eligible due to a disability and those who become eligible when they reach the age of 65, have the same guaranteed issue access to Medicare Supplement coverage.
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 help guide you through the whole process. 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 get started, simply give one of our licensed agents a call at 877-670-3602.
