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These plans, which are provided by private insurance companies but standardized by the government, are fairly straightforward when it comes to their benefits. In fact, Medicare Supplement Plans are governed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Which requires that all plans with the same letter name provide the same benefits to enrollees regardless of where or from whom the plan is purchased.
But because premiums vary by insurer, it’s critical to shop around for the best Medicare Supplement Plans and insurance providers. After reading our North Dakota Medicare Supplement Plans guide, EZ can assist you in comparing all of your options.
North Dakota Medicare Supplement Plans
A North Dakota Medicare Supplement Plan is your best option if you need extra coverage to fill in the gap in Original Medicare. Especially the 20% coinsurance you pay each time you access Medicare Part B services.
There are ten standardized Medicare Supplement Plans in North Dakota. Each labeled with a letter of the alphabet: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. Not all insurance providers in North Dakota will offer every plan. However, every insurer is required to offer Plan A. Plan C and Plan F are only available to people who became eligible for Medicare prior to January 1, 2020.
To get you started, we’ve outlined all ten plans, including their coverage and the average premium range in North Dakota.
Plan A
Plan A, which is the only plan offered by all insurers, is also the most basic. It doesn’t offer the most coverage. But it addresses one of the biggest gaps in Original Medicare’s coverage: the 20% of outpatient services that you are required to pay by Medicare Part B. Plan A must be offered to all Medicare recipients over the age of 65. However, some states do not require insurers to provide this plan to Medicare disability recipients under the age of 65.
In North Dakota, monthly Plan A premiums range from $86 to $254.
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 pay coinsurance for each day. 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 outpatient care. That means Medicare Part B pays 80% of the Medicare-approved amount, 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. Medicare covers these services, but you have to pay copayments. 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 is a bit less basic, Plan B covers the Medicare Part A deductible, while Plan A does not. The Medicare Part A deductible is $1,600 per benefit period in 2023, and because it is calculated on a 60-day basis rather than on an annual basis, you may pay it more than once per year. As a result, having a plan that includes this coverage could be extremely advantageous.
In North Dakota, monthly premiums for Plan B can cost between $124 and $329.
Plan C
Part C is one of the most comprehensive Medicare Supplement Plans, but it is not available to all beneficiaries. Except for Medicare Part B excess charges, all out-of-pocket expenses are covered with this plan. Plan C will cover your Parts A and B deductibles in addition to your 20% coinsurance, along with almost everything else.
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
Medicare beneficiaries who became eligible after January 1, 2020 are no longer eligible for Plan C. If you had Plan C prior to that date, you can keep it, and if you were eligible for Medicare but have not yet enrolled, you may still be able to purchase it. Premiums for Plan C in North Dakota range from $144 to $363.
Plan D
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)
It does not cover the Medicare Part B deductibles or Part B excess charges. You will be responsible for Part B excess charges if your doctor refuses to accept Medicare assignment and chooses to bill you for more than Medicare would cover. A few select plans cover the difference between what your doctor charges and what Medicare will pay, but not Plan D. That means if you plan on seeing doctors who do not accept Medicare assignment, you should skip Plan D.
Monthly Plan D premiums in North Dakota can start as low as $119 and can go as high as $320.
Plan F
Plan F has been the most popular Medicare Supplement Plan on the market for a very long time due to its comprehensive coverage, but it is not available to all beneficiaries. This plan only requires you to pay the monthly premium for Plan F; all other out-of-pocket expenses are covered. Plan F provides coverage for 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 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 is no longer available to Medicare beneficiaries who became eligible for the program after January 1, 2020. If you were eligible for Medicare prior to 2020, you can purchase one of these plans; if you have Plan F and are grandfathered in, you can keep it indefinitely.
Monthly premiums for Plan F in North Dakota can cost between $124 and $365.
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)
It only excludes the Medicare Part B deductible, making it a very comprehensive plan that is also generally less expensive than the plans that are no longer available.
Plan G premiums typically cost between $103 and $309 per month, making it less expensive 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. It only covers half of the following costs:
- Medicare Part B coinsurance – Plan K covers half of these costs, so you will be responsible for 50% of your 20% 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 time of service. However, it also has an out-of-pocket maximum that other plans do not. Which can be a very attractive feature for those worried about surprise medical expenses. Plan K’s out-of-pocket maximum is $6,620 per year (as of 2023). This means that once you’ve spent this amount on out-of-pocket medical expenses, Medicare Supplement Plan K will cover the rest of your approved costs for the year. Your limit will be reset every calendar year.
And while it only covers half of many out-of-pocket expenses, Plan K fully covers the Medicare Part A coinsurance.
Premiums for Plan K in North Dakota range from $54 to $131. Which is less than most other plans, due to its higher out-of-pocket costs.
Plan L
Similarly to Plan K, Medicare Supplement Plan L covers the majority but not all Original Medicare expenses. Although it covers them at a higher percentage than Plan K does. It, too, has an out-of-pocket maximum ($3,310 in 2023 – lower than Plan K’s). After which your insurance company will pay for the remainder of the year’s expenses.
Medicare Supplement Plan L covers all coinsurance and hospitalization costs associated with Medicare Part A. In addition, it covers a percentage 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. Premiums range between $66 and $184 a month in North Dakota.
Plan M
Plan M covers the majority of your Original Medicare out-of-pocket expenses, but not all. It does, though, fully cover more expenses than do either Plan K or Plan L. 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.
Premiums in North Dakota cost between $104 and $227 per month.
Plan N
Plan N is another very comprehensive Medicare Supplement Plan option. It excludes only two things: the Medicare Part B deductible ($226 in 2023) and Medicare Part B excess charges, which are any portions of medical bills that exceed the Medicare-approved amount. The only thing that Plan N has that most other plans do not are copayments for some Part B services.
Medicare Supplement Plan N covers the following nearly completely:
- 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 ranges from $75 to $253 a month in North Dakota.
When to Enroll
Federal regulations require Medicare Supplement Plan insurers to offer guaranteed-issue plans during your Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period. Which begins when you turn 65 and enroll in Medicare Part B.
However, federal regulations do not guarantee access to Medicare Supplement Plans for people under the age of 65. Although the majority of states have enacted rules to ensure disabled enrollees under the age of 65 have access to Medicare Supplement Plans, North Dakota has not. Nevertheless, some insurers continue to offer plans to people under the age of 65. If you’re under 65, on Medicare, and looking for a Medicare Supplement Plan, EZ can help you figure out your options in North Dakota.
How To Choose
When it comes to Medicare coverage, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and 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 Medicare Supplement Plan, or simply weighing your options. Our agents work with the best insurance companies in the country, and 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.
