Medicare Supplement Insurance (also called Medigap) helps senior and disabled Minnesota residents pay for some Medicare out-of-pocket costs.
Minnesota Medicare Enrollment Quick Facts:
- Over 406,000 Minnesota residents were enrolled in Medicare Part A and/or Part B in 2017, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
- 122,942 Minnesota residents had a Medigap policy in 2015, according to data from America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).
- More than 29 percent of Medicare beneficiaries in Minnesota were also enrolled in a Medigap plan in 2015, according to AHIP.
How Medigap Plans in Minnesota Differ From Medigap Plans in Other States
Medigap plans sold in Minnesota work the same as Medigap plans sold in other states. However, insurance companies offer different plan options in Minnesota.
Insurance companies in most states offer up to 10 standardized Medigap plan options to Medicare beneficiaries (plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M and N). In Minnesota, Medicare beneficiaries can choose between one of two plans: the Basic Plan and the Extended Basic Plan.
Minnesota Plan Options
Both plans cover five basic benefits:
- Part A coinsurance for inpatient hospital care
- Part B coinsurance
- The first three pints of blood each year
- Part A hospice coinsurance or copayment
- Part A and Part B home health services and supplies copayments and coinsurance
The chart below shows the differences between the two Medigap plans available in Minnesota. A check mark means the benefit is covered at 100 percent unless a different percentage is listed.
|
Basic Plan |
Extended Basic Plan |
|
|
Basic benefits |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Part A inpatient hospital deductible |
✔ |
|
|
Part A skilled nursing facility (SNF) coinsurance |
✔ (100 days of SNF care) |
✔ (120 days of SNF care) |
|
Part B deductible |
✔ |
|
|
Foreign travel emergency |
80% |
80%* |
|
Outpatient mental health |
50% |
50% |
|
Usual and customary fees |
80%* |
|
|
Medicare-covered preventive care |
✔ |
✔ |
|
Physical therapy |
20% |
20% |
|
Coverage in a foreign country |
80% |
|
|
State-mandated benefits (Check with your plan for benefits) |
✔ |
✔ |
*The plan covers this benefit at 100% after you pay $1,000 out-of-pocket during the calendar year.
Versions of Medigap Plans K, L, M, N and high deductible Plan F are available to Medicare beneficiaries in Minnesota.
Additionally, insurance companies can offer up to four riders on top of your Medigap plan, including coverage for:
- The Part A inpatient hospital deductible
- The Part B deductible
- Usual and customary fees
- Non-Medicare preventative care
Medicare Supplement Insurance Pricing Methods
Medigap pricing methods are important because they dictate how your premiums may increase in future years. There are 3 different pricing methods:
- Attained-age rated: The premium increases as you age
- Issue-age rated: The premium is based on your age when you buy the policy and it may increase due to inflation and other factors, but not due to your age
- Community rated: The same premium is charged to all Medigap policyholders
The majority of Medigap policies issued in Minnesota are community rated, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).
Under-65 Enrollment Rules
Although Medicare Supplement Insurance is primarily for senior citizens, it’s also available to disabled people and those with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in some states. Each state’s insurance department dictates the rules governing Medicare beneficiaries under the age of 65.
According to the KFF, insurance companies selling Medigap plans in Minnesota must offer at least one Medigap plans to under-65 Medicare beneficiaries. Medigap insurers in Minnesota must charge under-65 policyholders the same premiums as all other Medicare beneficiaries.
Learn More
To learn more about Medicare Supplement Insurance, read through the guides below.