Medicare Supplement Plans are offered by private insurance companies to help cover the gaps in Original Medicare. Such as the 20% coinsurance for Part B and the Part A deductible. But while these plans are sold by private insurance companies, the government regulates Missouri Medicare Supplement Plans. This ensures that all plans with the same letter name cover the same benefits.
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But, because private insurance companies sell these plans and set the premium rates for them, you should compare both Medicare Supplement Plans and insurance carriers to find the best plan and price for you. To help you get started, read our breakdown of Medicare Supplement Plans in Missouri. Once you’ve done that, speak to an EZ agent to compare all the plans available to you.
Missouri Medicare Supplement Plans
If you require additional coverage for out-of-pocket medical expenses your best option is a Medicare Supplement Plan.
In Missouri, there are ten Medicare Supplement Plans available. Each beginning with a different letter (A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N). By law, Plan A must be made available to all customers by all insurance companies. Plans C and F can only be purchased by individuals who became eligible for Medicare prior to January 1, 2020.
You’ll have to pay a monthly premium to your insurance company for one of these plans. But for this one price, you will get most of your out-of-pocket medical expenses covered. Depending on the type of coverage you select and your location, premiums in Missouri range from $62 to $464 per month.
With so many options available, it can be difficult to make a decision. We’ve outlined the fundamentals of each plan and how they operate in Missouri to help you along.
Plan A
Plan A provides the lowest level of coverage out of the ten Medicare Supplement Plans. It is not a very comprehensive plan, but it will cover the 20% of outpatient care that Original Medicare does not cover, in addition to some other basic out-of-pocket expenses.
Plan A premiums in Missouri range from $94 to $402 per month.
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 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 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.
But what makes Plan B more comprehensive than Plan A is that Plan B covers the Medicare Part A hospital deductible, which Plan A does not. In 2023, the Medicare Part A deductible per benefit period is $1,600. And, since this deductible is charged per 60-day benefit period rather than annually, you may be required to pay it more than once in a single year if your plan does not cover it.
In Missouri, monthly Plan B premiums can range from $150 to $381.
Plan C
This plan stands out as superior to its competitors because of its comprehensive coverage, but not all beneficiaries can purchase this plan. Plan C will pay for your Parts A and B deductibles and 20% of your outpatient coinsurance, as well as almost all other out-of-pocket expenses. In fact, the only thing it doesn’t cover are Medicare Part B excess charges.
This means that 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 patients 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 enroll in this plan if you became eligible for Medicare before that date but haven’t yet signed up.
Premiums for Plan C in Missouri range from $177 to $397 per month.
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 Medicare Part B deductibles or excess charges. If your doctor refuses to accept Medicare assignment, they can charge you more than Medicare will pay for a service, and you will be responsible for paying the difference, known as “excess charges”. A few plans cover these excess charges, but Plan D is not one of them
Monthly Plan D premiums in Missouri range from $164 to $334.
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 everyone. 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
Plan F, like Plan C, is unavailable to Medicare recipients who became eligible after January 1, 2020. You can enroll in one of these plans if you became Medicare-eligible before 2020, and if you’re grandfathered in, you can keep your current Plan F coverage indefinitely.
In Missouri, monthly premiums for Plan F can range from $178 to $464.
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 not covered by Plan G is the Medicare Part B deductible. The good news is that premiums for Plan G are frequently very competitive, ranging from $146 to $413 in Missouri, making these plans a better value than Plan F.
Plan K
Medicare Supplement Plan K reduces Original Medicare out-of-pocket costs, but does not completely fill the gaps. Plan K only covers 50% of certain expenses until you reach what is known as your out-of-pocket maximum. The following expenses are partially 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.
Even though Plan K has higher costs at the point of service, it does have an attractive selling point that most other plans do not have: an out-of-pocket maximum. This could actually mean lower overall costs for you, if you spend a lot on medical care each year.
Plan K’s annual out-of-pocket maximum is $6,620 as of 2023. Once you’ve spent this much in medical care, Medicare Supplement Plan K will cover 100% of your eligible medical expenses for the remainder of the year. On January 1, your annual maximum will be reset.
And while Plan K covers the majority of costs at a rate of 50%, it covers the Medicare Part A cost-sharing provision known as coinsurance in full. So you will not have to pay anything out-of-pocket if you remain in the hospital for more than sixty days. This is the one basic benefit that Plan K covers in full.
Because of its higher out-of-pocket expenses, monthly Plan K premiums in Missouri are in the lower range, costing from $62 to $145.
Plan L
Plan L also covers many, but not all, Original Medicare-related costs, although it covers these out-of-pocket expenses at a higher rate than does Plan K. It also has a lower out-of-pocket maximum than Plan K ($3,310 in 2023). Once you’ve paid this amount in covered medical expenses for the year, your insurer will pay the remainder of your bills in full.
Plan L provides coverage for all Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs. It also covers a portion of:
- 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 $105 and $322 a month in Missouri.
Plan M
Similarly to Plans K and L, Medicare Supplement Plan M covers the majority, but not all, costs associated with Original Medicare. Plan M, though, covers more expenses in full than do either Plans K or L.
Medicare Supplement Plan M covers all coinsurance and hospital costs associated with Medicare Part A. 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, 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 $132 to $382 a month in Missouri.
Plan N
Medicare Supplement Plan N fills the vast majority of Original Medicare coverage gaps. But you might have to pay copayments for some services with this plan, unlike with other plans. The only other exceptions to coverage with Plan N are the Medicare Part B deductible ($226 in 2023) and Medicare Part B excess charges, which are portions of medical bills that exceed the Medicare-approved amount.
Plan N provides coverage for 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.
Prices for Plan N can range from $120 to $334 a month in Missouri.
When To Enroll
The best time to enroll in a Medicare Supplement Plan is your Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period. Which is the six-month period that begins once you turn 65 and enroll in Medicare Part B. During this Open Enrollment Period, you will be given guaranteed-issue rights. Meaning insurance companies will not be able to deny you or charge you more for coverage. Since you are only granted this period once, it’s important to take advantage of it, otherwise you could face medical underwriting when you apply for a plan.
So, in the majority of states, individuals cannot switch to a new guaranteed-issue Medicare Supplement Plan after their Medicare Supplement Plan Open Enrollment Period ends. The “anniversary rule” in Missouri, though, allows enrollees to switch from one Medicare Supplement insurer to another (as long as both plans are the same letter: for example, from one Plan G to another Plan G) on a guaranteed-issue basis during a window beginning 30 days prior to the plan anniversary date and ending 30 days after it.
In Missouriyour state, there is also a two-month window each year during which individuals with Medicare Supplement coverage can switch to a different Medicare Supplement Plan (with the same coverage level as their current plan). This window differs for each enrollee, as it is based on the date you first obtained coverage.
And Missouri is among the majority of states that have adopted regulations guaranteeing at least some access to Medicare Supplement Plans for enrollees under 65. Whether you are becoming eligible for Medicare in Missouri due to age or disability, you will have access to the same six-month guaranteed-issue window for Medicare Supplement Plan. Premiums will be marginally higher for you if you are under the age of 65.
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 you 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 get started, simply enter your zip code in the bar below or give one of our licensed agents a call at 877-670-3602.
