Medicare Supplement Insurance (also called Medigap) helps senior and disabled Washington residents pay for certain Medicare copayments, deductibles, and other costs. Insurance companies can offer state residents up to 10 standardized Medigap plan options: Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N.
Important: Plan F and Plan C are not available to Medicare beneficiaries who become eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020.
WA Medicare Enrollment Quick Facts:
- Almost 900,000 Washington residents were enrolled in Medicare Part A and/or Part B in 2019, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
- 288,708 Washington residents had a Medigap policy in 2017, according to data from America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)
- Plan F is the most popular Medigap plan in Washington, with 181,153 enrollees in 2017, according to AHIP
WA Medigap Enrollment Statistics
The chart below shows which plans were most popular in Washington in 2017, according to AHIP.
|
Popularity Ranking |
Plan |
Total Enrolled in 2017 |
|
1 |
F |
181,153 |
|
2 |
N |
37,342 |
|
3 |
G |
29,429 |
|
4 |
C |
8,442 |
|
5 |
K |
6,343 |
|
6 |
A |
2,780 |
|
7 |
L |
964 |
|
8 |
B |
857 |
|
9 |
D |
483 |
|
10 |
M |
3 |
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 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 Washington 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 Washington do not have to offer any Medigap plans to under-65 Medicare beneficiaries. Medigap insurers in Washington are allowed to charge under-65 policyholders different premiums from their senior policyholders.
Learn More
To learn more about Medicare Supplement Insurance, read through our guides below.
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