Health Alliance Medicare | smart simple.

These plans help cover medical costs that Original Medicare doesn’t cover. You must have Original Medicare, including Part A and Part B, to get a Medicare Supplement plan.

Medicare Supplement plans are only offered by private companies like Health Alliance. All the plans are the same, so a Health Alliance Medicare Supplement Plan A, for example, is the same as Plan A from any other health plan. (Keep in mind, Plan A and Part A are different.) Medicare Supplement plans are also called Medigap plans, because they fill in the “gaps” of Original Medicare coverage.

With a Medicare Supplement plan, you have the freedom to choose any doctor and hospital.

Medicare Supplement plans pay for some additional medical expenses that Original Medicare doesn’t pay. You must have Part A and Part B to get a Medicare Supplement plan.

What you pay includes:

• A set amount per month (called a premium) for your Medicare Supplement health care coverage
• A separate monthly premium for Part B

With a Medicare Supplement plan you’ll pay less for the services below than you would with Original Medicare only.

• Hospital stays
• Care in skilled nursing facilities
• Outpatient care such as doctor services and physical therapy

Medicare Supplement plans don’t cover some services, including:

• Long-term care, such as care in a nursing home
• Prescription drug costs

Ranging from basic to broad coverage, Health Alliance Medicare offers four Medicare Supplement plans: Plan A, Plan C, Plan F and Plan N.

Show me Health Alliance Medicare Supplement Plans

1. Medicare Supplement plans are guaranteed issue, meaning a health plan must accept you regardless of your health status.

2. Medicare Supplement plans are not Medicare Advantage plans.

3. Medicare Supplement plans don’t help pay for prescription drugs. If you have a Medicare Supplement plan and want prescription coverage, a stand-alone prescription drug plan from Health Alliance Medicare may be right for you.

For help choosing a Medicare Supplement plan, view the publication “2011 Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare,” from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website.

Visit Prescription Coverage Basics for must knows about drug coverage.