Michigan Medicare Supplement Plans are sold by private insurance companies. These plans usually cover most major out-of-pocket Medicare expenses. Such as your Part A deductible and your Part B 20% coinsurance payment. But while they are sold by private companies, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulates Medicare Supplement Plans. The CMS requires that all plans with the same letter name offer identical benefits no matter where they are sold in the country.
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Having said that, premiums can vary depending on the insurance company you choose. So, it’s critical to compare a variety of Michigan Medicare Supplement Plans as well as a variety of insurance companies in order to find the plan that best meets your needs. EZ can assist you in comparing both. But first, read our guide to Medicare Supplement Plans in Michigan and how they work.
Michigan Medicare Supplement Plans
If you need more coverage to fill the gaps in Original Medicare, you should enroll in a Medicare Supplement Plan.
If you live in Michigan and want to buy a Medicare Supplement Plan, you should know that there are ten standardized plans available. All of which are named after a different letter of the alphabet (A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N). All insurance companies have to offer Plan A to their customers. Plans C and F are only available to people who were eligible for Medicare prior to January 1, 2020.
You will have to pay monthly premiums for one of these plans. But in return you will get most of your Original Medicare out-of-pocket expenses covered. In Michigan, these premiums can cost from $45 to $399 per month, depending on your location and the type of coverage you choose.
Because there are so many options, it can be difficult to keep track of everything. To make it easier for you to get started, we’ve broken down each plan, including what it covers and how much you can expect to spend in Michigan.
Plan A
The most basic plan available in Michigan is Plan A. But even though it’s basic, Plan A will cover what is arguably the most important thing that Medicare Supplement Plans cover: the 20% of outpatient services that Original Medicare does not cover.
Monthly Plan A premiums in the state of Michigan can range from $69 to $399.
Plan B
Medicare Supplement Plan B 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 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.
But Plan B is slightly more comprehensive than Plan A, because it covers the Medicare Part A hospital deductible, which Plan A does not. The Medicare Part A deductible is $1,600 per benefit period. Because it is not charged on an annual basis, but rather based on sixty-day benefit periods, you may end up paying this deductible more than once a year. So, having a plan that covers this could be very beneficial to you.
In the state of Michigan, monthly Plan B premiums can range from $119 to $332.
Plan C
This is one of the most comprehensive Medicare Supplement Plans on the market, but only certain beneficiaries are eligible to purchase it. Plan C covers everything except for Medicare Part B excess charges. This means Plan C covers both your Parts A and B deductibles, as well as the 20% coinsurance you’d normally have to pay for all outpatient care.
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, Plan C is no longer available to Medicare recipients who became eligible for Medicare after January 1, 2020. You can keep your current Plan C coverage if you had it prior to January 1, 2020, and you might be able to purchase this plan if you became Medicare-eligible before that date but haven’t yet enrolled.
Monthly premiums for Plan C in Michigan range from $142 to $387.
Plan D
Medicare Supplement 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)
Plan D does not cover your Medicare Part B deductible, or pay for Medicare Part B excess charges. If your doctor does not accept Medicare assignment, they will be able to charge you more than the Medicare-approved amount, and any costs beyond what Medicare covers (or “excess charges”) will be your responsibility. A few select plans cover these excess charges, but Plan D is not one of them.
Monthly Plan D premiums in Michigan can range from $116 to $368.
Plan F
Medicare Supplement Plan F has long been the best-selling plan on the market, but like Plan C, it is not available to all beneficiaries. It covers all of your out-of-pocket expenses, meaning you’ll only pay your monthly Plan F premium if you have this plan. The covered expenses include:
- 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 one caveat is that those who became or will become Medicare-eligible after 2020 no longer have access to Plan F. You can enroll in one of these plans if you became Medicare-eligible before 2020, and you can keep Plan F indefinitely if you are grandfathered in.
Plan F has monthly premiums between $142 and $359 in Michigan.
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 costing between $114 and $285 in Michigan, making these plans a better value than Plan F.
Plan K
Medicare Supplement Plan K will help reduce your out-of-pocket expenses for Original Medicare, but it will not completely fill the gaps in coverage. Plan K will only pay for 50% of certain costs until you reach what’s known as your out-of-pocket maximum.
This plan covers:
- 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.
But while you will pay a bit more out-of-pocket with Plan K, you will have a maximum out-of-pocket. Which is a limit to the amount you will have to pay out-of-pocket in a given year. The maximum annual out-of-pocket cost for Plan K is $6,620 (as of 2023). Once you spend this amount, Medicare Supplement Plan K will cover the remainder of the year’s approved costs. Your maximum is reset annually.
In addition, while Plan K covers most expenses at 50%, it will cover all of your Medicare Part A 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 provides full coverage for.
Because of its higher out-of-pocket costs, Plan K’s monthly premiums in Michigan are relatively low, ranging from $45 to $161.
Plan L
Medicare Supplement Plan L also covers the majority, but not all, Original Medicare-related expenses, and it covers them at a higher percentage than Plan K does. It also has an out-of-pocket maximum, which is lower than that of Plan K ($3,310 in 2023). Once you’ve paid this amount in covered expenses for the year, your insurer will pay the remainder of your medical bills.
Plan L provides coverage for all Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs. It also includes a portion of:
- Medicare Part B coinsurance – Plan L covers 75% of your 20% 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 $85 and $227 a month in Michigan.
Plan M
Like Plan K and Plan L, Medicare Supplement Plan M covers the majority of the costs associated with Original Medicare, but not all of them.
Medicare Supplement Plan M covers all of Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs. It also 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, Plan M will fully cover the first three pints of blood.
- 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 $142 to $348 a month in Michigan.
Plan N
Medicare Supplement Plan N fills the majority of coverage gaps left by Original Medicare. But it does have copayments for some Part B services, which other plans do not. The only exceptions to its coverage are the Medicare Part B deductible ($226 in 2023) and any Medicare Part B excess charges. Which are parts of doctor bills that exceed the Medicare-approved amount.
This means that Medicare Supplement Plan N covers all of 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, Plan N will fully 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 $95 to $267 a month in Michigan.
When To Enroll
Medicare Supplement Plans, unlike other private Medicare coverage (Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans), do not have an annual Open Enrollment Period. Instead, federal regulations have established a six-month window during which Medicare Supplement Plan coverage is guaranteed issue. Meaning insurance companies cannot deny you or charge you more for coverage if you purchase a plan during this time. This six-month period begins when you turn 65 and enroll in Medicare Part B.
In addition to these federal regulations, Michigan now has a “birthday rule”. As of August 2022, it allows you a 63-day window following your birthday to switch to another Medicare Supplement Plan of equal or lesser benefits offered by your current insurer, with no medical underwriting. When this law passed in 2022, Michigan joined a number of other states that already had birthday laws in place. The majority of the other states allow beneficiaries to use their birthday enrollment window to switch to another Medicare Supplement Plan with equal or lesser benefits offered by any insurer, but Michigan and Illinois limit this opportunity to plans offered by your current insurer.
Federal regulations do not guarantee access to Medicare Supplement Plans for people under 65. However, the majority of states have put in place rules to ensure that disabled Medicare beneficiaries have at least some access to Medicare Supplement Plans. Michigan is one of them.
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 give you the guidance you need. EZ can assist you in enrolling in Medicare, comparing Michigan 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 enter your zip code in the bar below or give one of our licensed agents a call at 877-670-3602.
