South Carolina Medicare Plans fall into two categories. The first category is South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans; the second is South Carolina Medicare Supplements.
South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans are a privatized version of the government’s original Medicare. With these plans, the insured has coverage provided exclusively by a private company. You still pay your premium (Medicare Part B) to Medicare; however, the private companies provides your insurance. These plans have typically been more popular in urban areas, where there are more doctors that accept the plans. With these plans, the insured has a system of cost-sharing (co-pays and deductibles) in exchange for a lower monthly premium and, sometimes, networks that the insured must stay within for full coverage.
South Carolina Medicare Supplements are plans that are designed to fill in the “gaps” in Medicare. These plans are standardized by the federal government (since 1992) and must follow the Medicare Supplements chart. Plans are accepted anywhere that takes original Medicare, and generally speaking, South Carolina Medicare Supplements pay the Medicare deductibles and the 20% at the doctor and hospital not covered by Medicare. There are some plans that do not cover the Medicare Part B deductible ($135/year in 2009); however, all of the plans, A-J, except one (Plan A), cover the larger Part A deductible ($1,068/year in 2009).
Questions about what the plans do and do not cover can be answered at: South Carolina Medicare Supplements or at Contact Secure Medicare Solutions.
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