Original Medicare provides excellent healthcare coverage and does a great job of keeping older adults like you healthy and financially stable. However, it does not cover everything. In fact, some beneficiaries find it difficult to afford certain aspects of it. Such as the 20% Medicare Part B coinsurance and other out-of-pocket costs, so they turn to Nevada Medicare Supplement Plans for additional coverage. If this is the case for you, you should look into one of these plans, and EZ can help.
Nevada Medicare Supplement Plans are sold by private insurance companies. These plans frequently cover both your Part A deductible and your 20% coinsurance for Part B, but not all plans cover every out-of-pocket expense.
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The good news is that there is no guesswork when it comes to these plans. Private insurance companies sell them, but the government standardizes them. In fact, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) oversees Medicare Supplement Plans. The CMS requires that all plans with the same letter name provide the same benefits regardless of where or from whom they are purchased.
Having said that, premiums can vary depending on the insurance company you choose. So, it’s critical to compare different Nevada Medicare Supplement Plans as well as different insurers to find the best plan for you. EZ can assist you in comparing both. But first read our guide to how Medicare Supplement Plans work in Nevada.
Nevada Medicare Supplement Plans
If you require additional coverage to fill any gaps in Original Medicare a Medicare Supplement Plan will be your best choice.
In Nevada, there are 10 standardized Medicare Supplement Plans. Each labeled with a different letter of the alphabet: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. While not every insurance company will offer every plan in Nevada, be aware that all insurers must offer Plan A. Another thing to keep in mind is that Plans C and F can only be purchased by people who became Medicare eligible before January 1, 2020.
To help get you started, we’ve broken down all 10 plans below with what they cover and an average range of premium costs in Nevada.
Plan A
Plan A, the only plan available from all insurers, is also the most basic plan available. It’s basic, but it covers one of the most important things you’ll need coverage for. Which is the 20% of outpatient services you’ll have to pay with Medicare Part B. While Plan A must be offered to all Medicare beneficiaries over the age of 65, certain states do not require insurers to offer this plan to Medicare disability beneficiaries under the age of 65.
Plan A premiums in Nevada range from $104 to $498 per month.
Plan B
Medicare Supplement Plan B covers all the basics that Plan A does, including:
- Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs – Medicare Part A only fully covers your first 60 days of inpatient hospital stays in a benefit period; after that, you are required to pay coinsurance for each day after your initial 60 days. Days 61-90 have a coinsurance of $400 a day, days 91-150 (after you use your Lifetime Reserve days) have a coinsurance of $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 little more coverage than does Plan A, though. Since it also covers the Medicare Part A deductible, which Plan A does not. The Medicare Part A deductible in 2023 is $1,600 for each benefit period. You may have to pay it more than once in a single year, since it is not an annual deductible but is based on 60-day benefit periods. That means having a plan that covers this could be very beneficial.
Plan B premiums in Nevada will most likely cost between $147 and $376 per month.
Plan C
Although not available to all beneficiaries, Part C is one of the most comprehensive Medicare Supplement Plans available. It covers all out-of-pocket expenses, except for Medicare Part B excess charges. This means that Plan C covers the 20% coinsurance required for all outpatient services, as well as your Parts A and B deductibles.
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 enrollees who became eligible after January 1, 2020. If you had Plan C before that date, you can keep it, and if you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020 but haven’t yet signed up, you may still be able to purchase it.
Plan C premiums in Nevada range from $180 to $432 per month.
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. Plan D covers this coinsurance.
- 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 and chooses to bill you for more than what Medicare would cover, you will be responsible for Part B excess charges. Any doctor who refuses to accept Medicare assignment is allowed to charge up to 15% more than the Medicare-approved rate for a healthcare service; the difference between what your doctor bills and the Medicare-approved amount is your excess charge, which is not covered by Plan D. That means Plan D will not be a good choice for you if you want to see a doctor who does not accept Medicare assignment.
In Nevada, Plan D premiums can range from $141 to $291 per month.
Plan F
Because of its comprehensive coverage, Plan F has long been the most popular Medicare Supplement Plan on the market, but it is not available to all beneficiaries. You only have to pay your monthly Plan F premium with this plan; all other out-of-pocket expenses are covered. Plan F includes the following benefits:
- 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 caveat is that anyone who became or becomes eligible for Medicare after 2020 is ineligible to purchase Plan F. If you were eligible for Medicare before 2020, you can purchase one of these plans, or if you already have Plan F and are grandfathered in, you can keep it for as long as you like.
Plan F premiums in Nevada typically cost between $137 and $446 per month.
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 does not cover is the Medicare Part B deductible, so it is a very comprehensive plan that is also less expensive than Plan F.
Plan G premiums typically cost between $117 and $422 per month, making it more affordable than Plan F.
Plan K
Medicare Supplement Plan K reduces your Original Medicare out-of-pocket expenses, but it does not completely fill the gaps. Plan K only covers 50% of some 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 Part B 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. Plan K requires you to pay the Medicare Part B deductible, which is $226 in 2023.
Plan K has higher out-of-pocket costs at the point of service. But it does have one feature that other plans do not have: an out-of-pocket maximum. That means you’ll only ever have to pay a total of $6,620 for Plan K in a single year (as of 2023). Once you’ve paid this much in out-of-pocket medical expenses, Medicare Supplement Plan K will cover the rest of the year’s approved costs. Your maximum will be reset at the start of the following calendar year.
Furthermore, while Plan K only covers 50% of many out-of-pocket expenses, it fully covers the Medicare Part A coinsurance.
Plan K premiums are lower than those of most plans because of its higher out-of-pocket costs, costing between $54 and $135 per month in Nevada.
Plan L
Medicare Supplement Plan L covers the majority, but not all, of Original Medicare’s expenses. But it covers them at a higher percentage than does Plan K. It, too, has an out-of-pocket maximum ($3,310 in 2023), which is lower than Plan K’s. Once you reach this maximum, your insurance company will cover all of your expenses for the remainder of the year.
Medicare Supplement Plan L covers the entire cost of Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospitalization. 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 $95 and $296 a month in Nevada.
Plan M
Medicare Supplement Plan M covers the majority of your Original Medicare out-of-pocket expenses, but not all. 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 hospital expenses and coinsurance
- Part A deductible – While Medicare Supplement Plan M covers most Part A costs, it will only 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.
The cost of Plan M premiums in Nevada ranges from $127 to $344 per month.
Plan N
Plan N is another highly comprehensive Medicare Supplement option. There are only two things that Plan N doesn’t cover: the Medicare Part B deductible ($226 in 2023) and any Medicare Part B excess charges, or any portion of medical bills that go over the Medicare-approved amount. But with that being said, Plan N does have copayments for some services, which other plans do not.
Medicare Supplement Plan N provides almost full coverage for 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, 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.
The price for Plan N can range from $90 to $409 a month in Nevada.
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. The majority of states have adopted rules to ensure that enrollees under the age of 65 have at least some access to Medicare Supplement Plans. But Nevada is not one of them. So, Medicare beneficiaries under 65 in Nevada can apply for a Medicare Supplement Plan. However, coverage is not guaranteed. And insurers can use medical underwriting to determine whether to issue a policy and at what price.
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 all the guidance you need. EZ can assist you in enrolling in Medicare, looking for a Nevada Medicare Supplement Plan, 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.
