Are you wondering about your Medicare options in Nixa, Missouri? Need to find a Medicare advisor to help you enroll? You’ve come to the right place! Whether you are new to Medicare or already have coverage, our Medicare advisors in Nixa can help sort through your Medicare options.
First, let’s review the components of Medicare. Then we’ll talk about how working with a Medicare advisor can save you time and money.
The Four Parts of Medicare
There are four separate parts that comprise the Medicare program. You may choose not to enroll in every part, but a combination will be needed to get comprehensive medical coverage.
Medicare Part A
Part A of Medicare provides hospital insurance. It will help pay for the expenses you incur during an inpatient stay – think of it as your “room and board.” Most Medicare beneficiaries do not pay a premium for Part A. As long as you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes for 40 quarters, this applies to you. If you haven’t met the full requirement, your monthly premium will be determined by how many quarters (if any) you did pay into Medicare.
In 2022, the Part A deductible is $1556. Once this deductible has been met for the benefit period, your coinsurance costs are based on how many days you have been in the hospital. You will not pay a coinsurance amount for the first 60 days. From day 61 to day 90, you will be responsible for $389 each day. After day 90, you are responsible for the full amount out-of-pocket unless you have any or all of your 60 lifetime reserve days left. If you still have some of these days available, your coinsurance will be $778 per day.
Medicare Part B
Part B of Medicare provides outpatient insurance. It will help pay for outpatient services such as doctor’s visits, diagnostic tests and images, surgeries, medical equipment, and preventive services. There is a monthly premium associated with Part B. In 2022, that premium is $170.10. If you earn (or earned) a high income, you may pay an adjusted amount above the standard premium.
The Part B annual deductible is $233 in 2022. Once you’ve paid that amount, your Part B services will be paid for at about 80%, leaving you to pay 20% out-of-pocket.
Medicare Part C
Medicare Part C is more often referred to as Medicare Advantage. A Medicare Advantage (MA) plan combines your coverage from Parts A and B, adds in extra benefits, and wraps them all into one plan. Private insurance companies are paid by the Medicare program to offer these plans. Since they are being paid by the government, the insurance carriers can provide these plans at low monthly premiums – sometimes as low as $0 per month.
There are several types of Part C plans available. Some have certain eligibility requirements, while others are available to all Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in Parts A and B. Most of the plans require their members to receive care within a network. Since there are so many plans available, the coverage, premiums, deductibles, copays, and coinsurance costs cannot easily be discussed here. You will need to look at the details of each plan to find this information.
Medicare Advantage Options in Nixa, MO
Part C plans are not offered in every county. A Part C plan that is available in one county may not be available in another. A few of the popular plans and carriers of Medicare Advantage plans in Nixa, MO include:
- CoxHealth MedicarePlus (HMO)
- UnitedHealthcare Dual Complete (HMO D-SNP)
- AARP Medicare Advantage (HMO-POS)
- Aetna Medicare Premier (HMO-POS)
- Humana Gold Plus (HMO)
Medicare Part D
Medicare Part D consists of prescription drug plans. You can purchase a Part D plan separately or find a Medicare Advantage plan that includes prescription drug coverage. In either scenario, the plan will work the same way – using a drug formulary.
A drug formulary is a list of prescriptions that are covered by the plan. The formulary places each prescription into a tier. Common, generic medications fall into lower tiers, and brand-name specialty medications fall into higher tiers. Medications in higher tiers have higher out-of-pocket costs.
The annual deductible for Part D plans in 2022 is $480. Most of the time, the plan does not apply the deductible to medications in the first tier or two. Premiums for Part D plans are based on what medications are included in the drug formulary.
Part D Options in Nixa, MO
There are many options when it comes to Part D plans in Nixa, MO. You’ll narrow down your options based on your prescriptions, but some of the more popular carriers include:
- AARP
- Blue MedicareRx
- Humana
- Cigna
- Mutual of Omaha
- SilverScript
- Elixir
- Clear Spring
- Wellcare
Medicare Supplements
In addition to enrolling in Parts A and B, you’ll likely want to consider either a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare supplement plan. Both offer more coverage than Original Medicare, but there are differences between the two.
A Medicare supplement will help pay for the leftover expenses from Parts A and B. In fact, three of the ten Medicare supplement plans pick up nearly all of the remaining costs. While supplements do not offer extra benefits like Medicare Advantage plans do, they offer more comprehensive medical coverage.
Your premium will depend on which of the ten plans you choose to enroll in. Medicare supplements F, G, and N are the most popular and range in price from about $70 – $130. The premium will depend on which carrier you use, your age, and where you live.
Medicare Advisors in Nixa, MO
Using a Medicare advisor in Nixa, MO, will help tremendously. As you can see, there are so many ins and outs of Medicare coverage – it’s hard to keep them all straight! Our Medicare advisors in Nixa will take the time to get to know you and understand what coverage is important to you. We will present several options and help you weigh the pros and cons of each.
There is no additional charge to work with us. Our services are completely free to you! We are independent insurance agents, which means we can compare many plans across multiple carriers to find you the best coverage and the most competitive rate. Give us a call today and find out how we can help you navigate the Medicare program!