Santa Clara County Medicare Supplement plans have some of California’s most favorable rates. Medigap companies who you will want to include in your comparison are; Anthem, Blue Shield, Health Net and UnitedHealthcare.
The Innovative Plan F includes Vision and Hearing coverage.
All offer competitive rates for this area. Be sure to compare the different company rates, simply click on the company links below to view their rates
Birthday Rule:
The California Medicare Supplement “Birthday Rule,” allows a current medicare supplement member to change companies without having to answer medical questions. It’s a guaranteed issue event.
You can also apply to any medicare supplement company in your area at anytime of the year. If you are outside of an open enrollment period, simply complete the application and wait for the company decision. Depending on your current or past health status, the company can either approve your application of deny the app.
INNOVATIVE F & G – Currently Anthem, Blue Shield and Health net all have Innovative Plans which includes Vision and Hearing. Blue Shield calls theirs “F Extra.”
Open-Enrollment:
If you are new to Medicare, your open-enrollment is; 6 months for medicare supplement enrollment, and 3 months for a medicare advantage and or a stand-alone Part D Rx plan.
If you are ending an “employer health” insurance plan, and you are 65 or older, you will have a 60 day open-enrollment which allows you to enroll in any medicare supplement or medicare advantage plan that is available to you in your area. Enrollment is guaranteed in this instance. Here are some examples of open-enrollment periods – Click Here
All medicare supplement policies in Santa Clara county are “standardized.” This means, the benefits are the same regardless of the company who provides them. For example, all companies who offer a Plan F, the coverage is identical from company to company.
Plan premiums are different from company to company, so is the service provided to it’s members. One company may be very easy to work with, another may have very slow member services, and poor administration.
Compare rates and ask about the services provided by the different companies. Or call me and I’ll give you information which should help you choose the right plan and company for your unique needs.
Part D Rx:
You will also need to enroll in a medicare Part D Rx plan to help with your prescription costs. Medicare Supplement plans do not include prescription coverage. There are 3 Part D plans in Santa Clara County and all cover medications differently.
You can run a comparison on the Medicare website, or simply call me and I’ll run the comparison for you. This is a very important exercise, because there can be a vast difference between companies and how they cover your medications. More information on Part D plans – Part D Rx info
Mix and match your Medicare Supplement company with your Part D company. Part D insurance companies have different monthly premiums and offer some drugs as preferred where other companies offer the same drug on their Tier 3 list. Which will cost you more. It is wise to compare Medicare Part D Rx plan annually, because they will make changes every year to their Formulary Drug list, which could affect you from one year to the next.
- Santa Clara County Hospitals: Brover Medical Center, Columbia Mission Oaks Hospital, Cowell Health Center, El Camino Hospital, Good Samaritan, Henard Hospital, Los Gatos Community Hospital, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, O’Connor Hospital, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, San Jose Hospital, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Santa Teresa Community Hospital, South Valley Hospital, Stanford Hospital, Valley Health Center.
New To Medicare Discount:
Anthem ($25/month), Blue Shield ($25/month) and Health Net ($30/month) offer a “new to medicare” discount for the first 12 months you are on the policy. Be sure to deduct this from your total premiums if you are new to medicare. Call for details.
If you live in Santa Clara County, be sure to compare the Medicare Supplement rates above. You may be surprised how much you can save.
No Cost Help … there is no charge for my services. The insurance companies provide a fee for me to help with coverage options, enrollment and service.
John Conner
916-682-1117
john@johnconner.com
