Medicare Plan G is among 10 different Medicare Supplement plans that fill in the gaps in old-age Medicare coverage. This means that seniors can buy Plan G to give them extended financial support even while still enrolled in Medicare, regardless of their current age. Although not every senior in need of extra income buys Plan G, it can help seniors who need extra security while waiting for the onset of Medicare coverage to reach a point where they can make the decision to join Medicare.
Plan G does not pay out a lot of money and its benefit features are limited to what Medicare plan it is paired with. For example, Plan G provides coverage only for pharmacies within the service area of your Medicare provider. If you move away from this service area, then your Medicare Part D coverage will end.
Medicare Plan F is one more of the ten original Medicare Supplement Plans that offers coverage only for specific medications. It is intended as a catch-all for all medications that are not already covered by Medicare Part A and Part B. When combined with Medicare Part D, Plan F is meant to cover all necessary prescriptions with few restrictions. This means that Plan F is the least expensive of all ten original plans. While it does not cover all kinds of medications, it does cover the most expensive medications.
Medicare Plan J is one more of the original ten Medicare Supplement plans that offers coverage for various additional benefits not offered in the original ten plans. These additional benefits are known as “special benefits.” Some special benefits may also be covered by Plan J. Some of the additional benefits provided by Plan J are: vision care coverage, hearing aid coverage, diabetic supplies, blood pressure lowering supplies, and arthritis. While these medications are not normally covered by other supplemental plans, some pharmacies may offer these medications for free or at a low-rate, so these extra benefits can be quite valuable.
Medicare Plan K is the last of the ten original plans. While it does cover some of the same types of medications that are covered in Plan F and J, Plan K only covers the following items: vision care, hearing aids, and certain blood pressure lowering supplies. Like Plan J, pharmacies may offer these items at a reduced rate, but the medications are not normally available without a prescription.
In short, each of the ten Medicare Parts A through J can typically be found in at least two separate supplemental plans. However, they vary slightly in coverage, cost, and eligibility requirements. Before choosing a plan, it is important to understand how the plans will interact with one another. This will help you choose which is best for your current situation. Medicare Plan A, B, C, or D can cover the same medications that Medicare Part A does. Plans C and D do not have as large of a deductible, thus they cost less than Plan A and could save you money on both types of medications.
