The Medicare Advantage Plan Means You Save on Medical Costs

The Medicare Advantage Plan Means You Save on Medical Costs

It’s no secret that figuring out insurance plans and the intricacies of its coverage is a daunting, time-consuming, and often frustrating process. What are you covered for, what are you not covered for, what’s the cut-off age — these are all good questions. When you’re a senior however, avoiding these types of headaches is a major plus for your health in terms of staying stress-free. Luckily, seniors can take advantage of the medicare advantage plan, a type of insurance that’s financed through contributions from workers and employers. Even those slightly below what’s considered a senior age can qualify, especially those with conditions relating to kidney failure and other disabilities.

What is Medicare?

Medicare, which is the other side of the American health care system, is a medical insurance program administered by the United States government, which essentially covers those over 65 and the disabled, regardless of the declared income.

In Medicare you can enroll for a part called A (hospital insurance) and a part called B (medical insurance). If you do not register for part B from the 3 months prior to the age of 65 until the 3 months following that date, you will pay the penalty, which consists of 10% per year for each year in which you do not register. In addition to parts A and B there are two other parts: part C, known as Medicare Advantage, which offers health care plans managed by private insurance companies recognized by Medicare. These plans bring benefits to parts A and B and their services and contribute to the payment of prescription drugs. Part D, on the other hand, contributes to the payment of the costs of the drugs, lowers the costs of the prescribed drugs and protects against the increase in the cost of these drugs.

What do the Medicare Advantage Plans cover?

Medicare Advantage plans (part C) are offered by private health insurance companies that cover, in addition to everything already covered in parts A and B (Original Medicare), also a series of additional services, such as, for example:

  • routine dental care including cleaning, X-rays and prostheses;
  • routine vision care including contact lenses and glasses;
  • routine hearing aids;
  • fitness benefits, including gymnastics classes.

In practice, Medicare Advantage Plan embraces gaps in Medicare Coverage. The most significant motivation to switch from a plan A or plan B to a plan C is because you will benefit from linked coverage insurance as well. This option allows you to have more choices in your healthcare coverage, which implies that you won’t need to spend so much money on bills for your most pressing healthcare issues. 

However, you need to know that there are significant differences between the Medicare Advantage Plans. 

Surely, their common feature is that almost all offer similar types of insurance, but all plan has its benefits and guidance.

Dental Care

Medicare usually doesn’t offer insurance for dental costs at all. It implies that you have to pay the total costs of extractions, your regular teeth cleanings, dentures, and fillings. 

But the good news is that Medicare Advantage Plan can include dental care coverage. If you add this plan to your existing Medicare plan, you can have proper coverage for x-rays, extractions cleanings and other basic general dental practices and your costs can be totally covered. You can even add coverage for further in-depth procedures, such as root canals, bridges, dentures and implants.

Hearing Aids

Hearing is unquestionably one of the most important fields of healthcare. Hearing aid coverages are not provided in the original Medicare plans, so it means people with hearing health problems should pay 100% of the cost of the medical services. 

Though various Medicare Advantage plans provide excellent hearing coverage. Typically, the costs of routine hearing are covered, such as regular hearing check-ups, appropriate assessments for people who need hearing aids, and even the costs of the hearing aids themselves. If you choose the right plan for you, all of your costs of medical hearing services may be covered. 

Vision Care

If you have the original Medicare, you can have coverage for eye examinations only in case you have another medical condition as well; otherwise, you won’t be eligible for vision care insurance. It means that many people who wear glasses or often have eye examinations have to pay the full costs by themselves.

Fortunately, numerous Medicare Advantage Plans provide regular vision coverage. It this way, your usual eye examinations and the costs of the glasses can be covered. If you opt for a beneficial Medicare plan, you can have complete eye care insurance.

Prescription Medications

Almost everybody knows about a gap in healthcare services regarding prescription medication. Patients have complained about the inferior coverage and high-costs of drugs primarily because of the bad-structured Medicare coverage for a long time. 

Luckily you have the possibility to have the gap covered with the help of the Medicare Advantage Plan. You can quickly reduce your costs because this plan can provide more extensive medical coverage. Moreover, you can choose a Medicare Advantage Plan that can cover your prescriptions.

In addition to healthcare insurance opting for a Medical Advantage Plan can be a great possibility to get rid of huge medical expenses and even save money on them. 

[1]Medicare.gov: What’s Medicare?

[2]Healthline: Medicare Advantage Plans: What They Cover

[3]Ehealth Medicare: Do Medicare Advantage Plans Cover Dental Services?

[4]Aarp Medicare Plans: Medicare Prescription Drug Plans

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