Medicare Supplement Insurance in Wisconsin

Medicare Supplement Insurance (also called Medigap) helps senior and disabled Wisconsin residents pay for some Medicare out-of-pocket costs.

How Medicare Supplement Plans in Wisconsin Differ From Those of Other States

Medigap plans sold in Wisconsin work like Medigap plans sold in other states. However, insurance companies offer different plan options in Wisconsin than they do in most other states.

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 Wisconsin, Medicare beneficiaries can purchase a Basic Plan with the option to purchase additional riders to customize a plan that meets their needs.  

The Basic Plan

The Basic Plan covers:

• Part A coinsurance plus coverage for 365 additional days after Medicare coverage ends*
• Part B coinsurance*
• The first three pints of blood each year*
• Part A hospice coinsurance or copayment*
• Part A skilled nursing facility (SNF) coinsurance.
• An additional 175 days per lifetime on top of Medicare’s inpatient mental health coverage benefit.
• An additional 40 home health care visits on top of Medicare’s covered visits.
• State-mandated benefits (check with your plan for specific benefits).

*These are known as “basic benefits” and are offered by every Medigap plan.

Riders and Other Options

In addition to the Basic Plan, insurance companies in Wisconsin can sell plans known as “50 percent and 25 percent Cost-sharing Plans” and a high deductible plan ($2,000). These plans are similar to Plan K (50 percent) and Plan L (25 percent) in other states.

If you would like additional coverage not offered by the Basic Plan, you can purchase a rider on top of your policy. Insurance companies in Wisconsin can offer riders to cover:

• The Part A deductible.
• An additional 365 home health visits on top of Medicare’s benefit.
• The Part B deductible.
• Part B excess charges.
• Foreign travel emergency coverage.
• 50 percent of the Part A deductible.
• Part B copayments or coinsurance.

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.

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.

Wisconsin law requires insurance companies to make all of their Medigap plans available to those under 65 but allows the company to charge higher rates based on age. 

Learn More

To learn more about Medicare Supplement Insurance, read through the guides below.

• How Medicare Supplement Insurance works
• Get a Medicare Supplement Insurance quote