What Medicare Plan is best?

Can anyone explain to me what Medigap is?  My Mom chose a Medicare drug plan, but it is SOOO confusing we're not sure that we have chosen the right one.

Any suggestions - I would really appreciate the help!

Pam

[Sandy M]

Medigap is an insurance that covers the gaps left by Medicare. Medigap is a private coverage insurance but it is highly regulated by both federal and state governments therefore it is affordable for many seniors.

Hope this helps

Sandy

[InsureBob]

Medicare Supplement Plans, referred to as Medigap Plans, cover the "gaps" in coverage, that the Medicare Beneficiary is exposed to, by simply having Medicare Parts A and B.  They are lettered A through J, and with some companies, K and L are also available.

The higher the letter, the more comprehensive the coverage.

Medicare Supplement Plans are based on the county in which you reside, and your age, with some medical questions to answer, if you are not "aging in", in other words, turning 65.

Medicare Part D, which is the Prescription Drug Plan portion of Medicare, has absolutely NOTHING to do with Medigap (Medicare Supplement) coverage.  Medicare Part D is strictly for use with Medications.  You would shop around, until you found a company who's Medicare Part D plan included the medications your mother is on.  Don't be surprised if most, but not all, medications are on one plan.  

Then you have Medicare Advantage Plans, which is nothing more than Major Medical coverage for Medicare Beneficiaries.  You have little, or no, premium above your Medicare Part B premium, and you get "predictable" costs for daily, ordinary, and surgical procedures.

To learn more, you can send me a message, or go to www.medicare.gov and do a side by side comparison, both for Medicare Advantage Plans, as well as Medicare Supplement and Part D Plans.

Once you are on the www.medicare.gov website, you can download two very important publications.  The first one is "Medicare & You - 2007" which discusses, in great detail, the merits of Medicare Advantage Plans.  The second is, "Choosing a Medicare Supplement Plan", which does the same for Medicare Supplement plans.  Both are "options" available to Medicare Beneficiaries, and joining either plan format will not take you out of Medicare.

[harryarnold]

You can find a ton of info regarding the different Medicare plans at http://www.medicare-medicaid.com. They offer a lot of info regarding Medicaid as well.