Medicare Plan N vs Plan G

Medicare Plan N has the same great coverage benefits of Medicare Plan G except it requires you make a copayment of up to $20 for some office visits. However, the monthly premium cost of Medigap Plan N usually costs $20 less. In addition, Medicare Supplement Plan N requires you make up to $50 copayment for emergency room visits that do not result in inpatient admission. In other words, if you go to the emergency room and get discharged without being admitted as an impatient, you can pay up to a $50 copayment.

What is Medigap Plan N?

Original Medicare Parts A and B only cover 80% of hospital and medical bills. Medigap Plan N pays the 20% coinsurance not covered by Parts A and B. Medigap is another name for Medicare Supplement. Moveore, Medicare Supplement plan N is a standardized plan with the same coverage benefits for all insurance carriers. In other words, all Medicare Insurance Companies who offer Plan N such as Aetna, Mutual of Omaha, and UnitedHealthcare (AARP) provide you with the same coverage benefits.

What does Medigap Plan N cover?

Medigap Plan N provides the same standard coverage benefits no matter where you purchase the plan. In other words, Medigap plan N has the same coverage no matter which insurance company you choose. All Medigap Plan N policies include the following benefits:

Medicare Part A: Inpatient Hospital Coverage and Cost

Plan N covers inpatient care in hospital, skilled nursing facility, hospice care, and home health care. Before you receive any Medicare Part A benefits, the Part A deductible cost of $1408 in 2020 must be paid. One of the many benefits of Plan N includes paying your $1408 Part A deductible. In addition, Plan N also covers and pays the following:

• Original Medicare covers the first 20 days of skilled nursing. After that, Plan N pays $176 coinsurance in 2020 up to 100 days. These 80 days of skilled nursing benefits total $14,080.
• Original Medicare covers the first 60 days in a Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH). After that, Plan N pays $352 coinsurance in 2020 between days 61 through 90. These 30 days in a LTCH is a $10,560 benefit.
• When a hospital has to buy blood for you, the first 3 pints of blood is covered by Plan N.

Medicare Part B: Outpatient Medical Coverage and Cost

Plan N covers Medicare Part B outpatient medical services at any hospital or medical facility for less than 24 hours. In addition, plan N covers outpatient preventive services such as your annual flu shot and annual wellness visit. Furthermore, plan N covers and pays for the following medical screenings:

• Plan N pays 20% coinsurance cost when colorectal cancer screening discovers the presence of abnormal tissue (polyp) and the doctor removes a sample for later examination.
• After you pay $198 Part B deductible in 2020, plan N pays 20% coinsurance cost for diabetes self-management training.
• For men over the age of 50, plan N pays 20% coinsurance cost for prostate cancer digital rectal exam after you pay $198 Part B deductible.

What Medigap Plan N Does Not Cover

As shown in the Medigap Plan N Benefits chart above, Plan N does not cover the Part B deductible which is $198 in 2020. As a result, you first pay $198 annual deductible before Medicare Part B will cover your medical service or equipment. In addition, Medigap Plan N does not cover Medicare Part B excess charges. As a result, any provider who does not accept Medicare assignment can charge you up to 15% more than the Medicare-approved price.

What the Medigap Plan N Benefits chart does not show is two conditions when Medicare Part B does not pay copayments. Every time you have an outpatient doctor’s office visit, you will owe $15 copayment with Plan N. In addition, every visit to emergency room which does not result in you being admitted as inpatient, will require you to pay up to $50 copayment with Plan N.

In contrast to Medicare Advantage plans, Medigap plans including Plan N do not cover vision, dental, hearing, or prescription drugs. However, you can get prescription drug coverage by enrolling in Medicare Part D.

How does Medicare Plan N compare to other Plans?

Medigap plan N has the same coverage benefits as plan D except there are no Part B copayments. When you step up to Plan D, you will not pay $20 copayment for some office visits nor will you pay $50 copayment for emergency room visits. On the other hand, you can step down to a more afforable Plan M which only covers 50% of Part A Deductible. For example, if you are admitted as hospital inpatient, you must first pay $704 (half of Part A deductible in 2020) before Medicare covers your hospital bills. Use the Medigap Benefits Chart to compare all Medigap plans.

Who is Eligible for Plans C and F?

Anyone enrolled in Medicare prior to January 1, 2020 is eligible for Medicare Plans C and F. On the other hand, due to MARCA law change people newly eligible for Medicare after January 1, 2020 are not eligible for Plans C and F. In other words, you can not get Plan C or Plan F. As a result, the most comprehensive Medicare Plan you can get is Plan G.

Who is eligible for Medicare Plan N?

To be eligible for any Medicare Supplement Plan including Plan N you must have Medicare Part A and Part B. If you are not currently enrolled in Medicare, you can apply for Medicare. You can sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B during your 7-month Initial Enrollment Period. You are first eligible for Medicare when you turn age 65. However, if you did not sign up when you were first eligible, you can sign up during the General Enrollment Period between January 1 – March 31 each year. As a result, your coverage will start July 1.

Medicare General Enrollment Period

When you enroll in Medicare outside of your 7-month Initial Enrollment Period, Medicare Supplement insurance companies will ask you health questions. Moreover, Medigap insurance underwriting can deny coverage based on health conditions. Moreover, the Medigap insurance provider may charge you more based on the underwriting interview. Thus, the best time to buy a Medigap plan is when you first become eligible.

Is Medicare Plan N Right For You?

Medicare Suppement Plan N could be a lower cost alternative to Plan G. However, anyone with health conditions who visits the doctor regularly could save more money with Plan G. On the other hand, healthy seniors may consider stepping down coverage to a more affordable Plan M. In addition to coverage differences on these Medigap Plans, the monthly premium costs will vary with each Medigap insurance provider. Therefore, it is best to use a Medicare insurance broker to shop and save. At Senior Healthcare Direct you can shop and save on Medigap plans with all major Medicare insurance carriers by calling 1-855-368-4717. You can also click the Get Quote button below.