Health & Benefits

Medicare supplement insurance fills the gaps between Medicare and your out-of-pocket costs. It is often called Medigap insurance.

Medigap policies are sold by private insurance companies. These policies only pay for health care services that are medically necessary.

There are special rules regulating Medigap. Insurance companies must ensure that buyers carry only one policy. You can buy Medigap if you have Medicare Parts A and B. If you have Medicare Advantage (also known as Medicare Part C, or Managed Medicare), you may not obtain Medigap.

If you are between 65 and 75 years old and you live in Illinois, you will have an opportunity to enroll in Medigap every year. The enrollment period in Illinois starts on your birthday and lasts for 45 days.

If you have Medicare and Medigap, you should not need any other medical insurance. The Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) has a list of companies that sell Medigap. You will need to pay a monthly premium for Medigap.

These policies do NOT include drug coverage for people in Medicare Part D. In order for you to get coverage for drugs, you will need to enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan (if you have not already done so).

How to pick a health insurance plan

It can be difficult to compare insurance policies. Each company uses its own special words. You may end up comparing apples and oranges.

There are 10 standardized Medigap plans. Those plans are labeled A through N. Some plans are no longer sold. If you currently have them you can keep them. It is illegal to sell anything other than those 10 Medigap plans (with exceptions in certain states).

The Medicare website has a tool to help you compare policies. It helps you compare your needs with the coverage provided.

Study your policies paragraph by paragraph. Make sure they provide the coverage you want. They offer the same benefits no matter what company offers them. The only difference between companies is cost.

The best strategy is to shop around before you buy.

When a salesperson offers you a policy, have another one look it over. They can tell you whether they have one that is better at a lower cost. Always ask for an explanation of the terms and coverage.

Getting counseling about Medigap

The Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) is a free counseling service, and it has many free resources to help you make the best insurance choices. It helps senior citizens who have questions about health insurance, including:

• Medicare,
• Medicare Supplement Insurance,
• Medicare Advantage Plans,
• Prescription Drug Coverage, and
• Long-Term Care Insurance.

Their contact information is below:

Senior Health Insurance Program
Illinois Department on Aging
One Natural Resources Way, #100
Springfield, IL 62702-1271
Phone: 1-800-252-8966; 888-206-1327(TDD)
Email: [email protected] 

More information

Illinois Department on Aging 

Here is information about Medicare and Long Term Care Insurance Companies.

Office of Consumer Health Insurance

If you have complaints or questions about your insurance policy, you can file a complaint A written statement to start a lawsuit that says what the defendant did with:

The Office of Consumer Health Insurance (OCHI)
Illinois Department of Insurance
320 West Washington Street Springfield, Illinois 62767-0001
(877) 527-9431

Medicare Interactive

Medicare Interactive helps you with your Medicare questions.