Know Your Health Insurance Options As A Senior

As a senior, you want to ensure you get the medical care you need without breaking the bank. Here’s how to do so with some tips on how to research affordable health insurance options.

Basic Health Insurance Options for Seniors

We’ll discuss some resources seniors have at their disposal to help them find the ideal health insurance coverage in a bit. Right now, let’s take a look at two paths to get that coverage:

1. Medicare

This health insurance for seniors comes from the federal government. It’s a widely-used program, and many seniors become eligible for Medicare once they hit the age of 65.

Can you qualify for Medicare before your 65th birthday? Yes, but such early eligibility is usually limited to people with specific disabilities or medical conditions.

While it certainly helps to know you have some coverage as a senior, Medicare usually isn’t enough to cover medical expenses by itself. You may come across situations where you need a specific type of medical care or require a particular prescription, but Medicare doesn’t cover 100 percent of those costs. That’s where additional insurance can come in to save the day.

2. Medigap

Many seniors find themselves living on fixed incomes. As such, they cannot afford to pay for medical care out of their own pocket. Since Medicare sometimes does not cover every medical expense, supplemental insurance is needed, which goes by the name of Medigap.

As its name suggests, Medigap can help fill in that “gap” where Medicare falls short. Offered by private insurance companies, Medigap policies are reserved for seniors with Medicare Part A and B coverage.

When choosing a Medigap plan, you want to make sure it fits your medical needs and budget. This can be a confusing process, which is why it’s great to know that there are resources that can help.

Getting Help With Finding Your Health Insurance Coverage

Should you need assistance with picking a Medigap policy or any other healthcare question, turn to your nearest State Health Insurance Program (SHIP). You can find it by clicking here. Once on the home page, click on the “SHIP Locator” button and pick your state from the pop-up menu. From there, you will see various ways to contact your SHIP, such as by phone, official website, Facebook page, etc.

If you’d like to read up a bit on Medigap before contacting your closest SHIP office, go here. You can do the same by clicking here if you want to read more about Medicare as well, or visit the Center for Medicare Advocacy. Then, when you feel well-versed on each, you can contact the SHIP office with any further questions.

It’s essential to use these resources and not be afraid to ask any questions. Getting affordable health insurance should be a top priority for any senior. Although completing this task may seem daunting, you’ll find that with the help of others, such as those at your local SHIP office, it’s not so difficult.