Original Medicare is a great program that offers excellent coverage to people over 65 and those with certain disabilities and medical conditions. But it’s not perfect. It has a lot of gaps, like the 20% Medicare Part B coinsurance. Fortunately, Nebraska Medicare Supplement Plans can help you to fill these gaps.
Private insurance companies offer Nebraska Medicare Supplement Plans to help pay for some of the costs not covered by Original Medicare. But while private companies sell these plans, the government regulates Medicare Supplement Plans. This ensures that all plans with the same letter name provide the same benefits.
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Since private insurance companies sell these plans, though, premiums vary from insurer to insurer. So, you should compare Nebraska Medicare Supplement Plans and insurance providers to find the best plan and premium for you. Talk to an EZ agent to compare Medicare Supplement Plans in Nebraska after reading our guide to how these plans work.
Nebraska Medicare Supplement Plans
If you need more coverage than what Original Medicare provides a Nebraska Medicare Supplement Plan is your best bet.
You have the choice between 10 different Medicare Supplement Plans in the state of Nebraska. All of which are named with a different letter (A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N). All insurance providers must make Plan A available to their customers. However, Plans C and F are only available to those who first became eligible for Medicare prior to January 1, 2020.
You’ll have to pay a monthly premium but for that one price, you’ll get most of your out-of-pocket medical expenses covered. Monthly premiums in Nebraska cost anywhere from $50 to $598, depending on which plan you choose and where you live.
Considering the variety of options available to you, picking a plan might prove difficult. To make things easier, we’ve outlined the basics of each plan and how they function in Nebraska.
Plan A
Of the ten Medicare Supplement Plans, Plan A offers the least amount of coverage. Although it does not provide comprehensive coverage, it does pay for the 20% of outpatient care that you are responsible for with Original Medicare, among a few other basics as discussed below.
Plan A monthly premiums in the state of Nebraska can cost anywhere from $86 to $546.
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.
Plan B offers a bit more coverage than Plan A does, because it covers the Medicare Part A hospital deductible, which Plan A does not. In 2023, the Medicare Part A deductible is $1,600 per benefit period. Because 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 doesn’t cover it. That means Plan B might be a better option than Plan A if you’re looking for more coverage for hospital stays.
Monthly Plan B premiums in Nebraska can range from $119 to $472.
Plan C
This Medicare Supplement Plan is one of the most comprehensive on the market, although it is not available to everyone. Plan C covers everything, with the exception of any excess charges that may be associated with Medicare Part B. This means that Plan C will pay for both your Part A and Part B deductibles, in addition to the 20% coinsurance that is required for any outpatient care you receive, as well as basically every other expense associated with Original Medicare.
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
Plan C is no longer offered to Medicare beneficiaries who became eligible for coverage after January 1, 2020. You can maintain your current Plan C coverage if you had it before January 1, 2020, and you may be able to purchase this plan if you became eligible before that date but have not yet enrolled in Medicare.
Monthly Plan C premiums in Nebraska range from $133 to $528.
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 Part B excess charges. If your physician refuses to accept Medicare assignment and charges you more than Medicare will cover, you will be responsible for paying the difference between the two amounts, known as an “excess charge”. A few plans will pay these excess charges, but Plan D is not one of them, so if your doctor doesn’t accept Medicare, you should choose a different plan.
The monthly premiums for Plan D in Nebraska range anywhere from $107 to $345.
Plan F
Medicare Supplement Plan F has long been the best-selling plan on the market. 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
As with Plan C, Plan F is unavailable to Medicare beneficiaries who became eligible after January 1, 2020. If you became Medicare-eligible before 2020, you can enroll in one of these plans, and if you’re grandfathered in, you can keep your current Plan F coverage indefinitely.
Plan F monthly premiums can range from $111 to $598 in Nebraska.
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 $97 to $568 in Nebraska, making these plans a better value than Plan F.
Plan K
Medicare Supplement Plan K reduces Original Medicare out-of-pocket expenses but does not fill all coverage gaps. Plan K only covers 50% of certain expenses until you reach your out-of-pocket maximum. The following costs are partially covered by Plan K:
- 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 might have higher costs but its Plan K out-of-pocket maximum can mean lower overall costs, since you will not have to pay more than $6,620 (as of 2023) in a given year. Once you have reached your annual maximum, Plan K will cover all eligible medical expenses for the rest of the year. On January 1, your annual maximum will be reset.
Plan K covers the majority of costs at a 50% rate, but it does cover the Medicare Part A coinsurance at 100%. So, you won’t have to pay anything out-of-pocket if you are hospitalized for more than sixty days. This is the one basic benefit that Plan K covers in full.
Because of its higher out-of-pocket costs, monthly premiums for Plan K can be lower, ranging from $50 to $176 per month in Nebraska.
Plan L
Plan L also covers many, but not all, Original Medicare-related costs, but it covers them at a higher rate than does Plan K. It also has a lower out-of-pocket maximum than does 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.
Plan L provides full 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 $62 and $320 a month in Nebraska.
Plan M
Medicare Supplement Plan M is comparable to Plans K and L in that it covers the majority, but not all, Original Medicare-related expenses. It fully covers more benefits than do either of these plans, though.
Medicare Supplement Plan M covers all 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, 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 $78 to $363 a month in Nebraska.
Plan N
Medicare Supplement Plan N fills the vast majority of Original Medicare coverage gaps, but it has copayments for some services, unlike other plans. The only other exceptions to Plan N’s coverage 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.
Medicare Supplement 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, 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 $74 to $483 a month in Nebraska.
When To Enroll
There is no annual Open Enrollment Period for Medicare Supplement Plans. Instead, federal regulations have established a six-month window during which Medicare Supplement coverage is guaranteed issue. Meaning insurance companies cannot deny you or charge you more for coverage. This period begins when you reach 65 and enroll in Medicare Part B. This six-month window is the only time when you will be given guaranteed-issue rights. So, it’s in your best interest to take advantage of this time.
It’s important to note that federal rules do not guarantee access to Medicare Supplement Plans for you if you are under the age of 65 and enrolled in Medicare because of a disability. The majority of states ensure that disabled enrollees under 65 have at least some access to private Medicare Supplement Plans. However, Nebraska has not. Nebraska Medicare Supplement Plan insurers do not have to offer coverage to people under the age of 65. But some do voluntarily offer them, albeit at significantly higher premiums than for people over 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 give you guidance on signing 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 start, simply enter your zip code in the bar below or give one of our agents a call at 877-670-3602.
