at a glance
- AARP is a nonprofit, membership organization that offers Medigap plans through the UnitedHealthcare insurance company.
- There are eight AARP Medicare supplement plans you may be able to choose from, although not every plan can be purchased in every state or county.
- There is at least one AARP Medigap plan available for purchase in all 50 states.
If you’re an AARP member, you may be eligible to purchase an AARP Medicare plan. AARP offers Medicare Advantage and Medicare supplement (Medigap) plans through the UnitedHealthcare insurance company.
Medigap plans are a type of supplemental insurance that is sold by private insurers. As the name implies, Medigap is meant to cover some of the gaps in healthcare costs that original Medicare (Part A and Part B) doesn’t pay. These include out-of-pocket expenses, such as copays, coinsurance, and deductibles.
The basic coverage of each Medigap plan is standardized by Medicare. The table below provides an at-a-glance look at what each AARP plan covers.
| Coverage | Plan A | Plan B | Plan C | Plan F | Plan G | Plan K | Plan L | Plan N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A deductible | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | 50% | 75% | yes |
| Part A coinsurance | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | 50% | 75% | yes |
| Part A hospital costs for an additional 365 days | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Part B deductible/Part B excess charges | no/no | no/no | yes/no | yes/yes | no/yes | no/no | no/no | no/no |
| Part B coinsurance or copayments | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | 50% | 75% | yes, except for a copayment of up to $20 for some doctor’s visits and up to $50 for outpatient emergency room visits |
| skilled nursing facility care coinsurance | no | no | yes | yes | yes | 50% | 75% | yes |
| foreign travel coverage | no | no | 80% | 80% | 80% | no | no | 80% |
| first 3 pints of blood | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | 50% | 75% | yes |
Plan C and Plan F are no longer available for people who are newly eligible for Medicare as of January 1, 2020. If you already have one of these plans, you can keep it. If you were eligible for Medicare before 2020, you can still purchase these plans.
Plan K has an annual out-of-pocket limit of $6,220 and Plan L has a limit of $3,110. After you meet these limits and pay your annual Part B deductible, the plan will pay 100 percent of your covered services for the rest of the calendar year.
UnitedHealthcare offers eight standardized Medigap plans to AARP members:
- Medicare Supplement Plan A. Plan A mainly helps pay for hospital and hospice coverage.
- Medicare Supplement Plan B. Plan B offers the same coverage as Plan A but also covers your Part A deductible.
- Medicare Supplement Plan C. Plan C is a very robust plan. It covers the Medicare Part B deductible, skilled nursing facility care, and foreign travel. This plan is available only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.
- Medicare Supplement Plan F. Plan F is the most comprehensive plan, covering the Part B excess charges in addition to all of the benefits of Plan C. This plan is also only available to those new to Medicare prior to 2020.
- Medicare Supplement Plan G. This plan offers coverage for Part B excess charges and foreign emergency care. It is a popular plan for those who are not eligible for plans C or F.
- Medicare Supplement Plan K. Plan K pays up to 50 percent of your costs after you meet your deductible. It also offers low monthly premiums.
- Medicare Supplement Plan L. This plan pays up to 75 percent of your costs after you meet the deductible and also has low monthly premiums.
- Medicare Supplement Plan N. With this plan, you’ll still have copays for Part B services, but they’ll be much lower than what you’d pay without the plan. You’ll also have coverage for hospital care, foreign travel, and more.
AARP Medigap plans allow you to use any Medicare-approved doctor or supplier without a referral from your primary care physician. Through your plan, you will have coverage for medical services you need anywhere in the United States.
AARP Medicare supplement plans have varying costs and discounts, which may be determined by your state, county, or ZIP code. The table below shows some examples of rates you may see in different areas of the country.
| Brooklyn, NY | Los Angeles, CA | New Orleans, LA | Missoula, MT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plans offered | A, B, G, K, L, N | A, B, G, K, L, N | A, B, C, F, G, K, L, N | A, B, G, K, L, N |
| Average monthly premium | $83.50–$270 | $61.44–$163.20 | $64.20–$149.75 | $49.92–$151.53 |
Medigap plans are a type of supplementary insurance that you may want if you have original Medicare. These plans pay some of the out-of-pocket costs that you are typically responsible for.
Not every plan is available everywhere. The costs of these plans also vary from state to state.
Medigap plans are standardized. This means that the coverage provided in each plan is uniform, no matter which insurer is selling it. However, it is up to an insurance company to decide which plans they will sell.
Medigap is not the same as Medicare Advantage (Part C). Medigap doesn’t pay for services that original Medicare doesn’t cover, but it does fill in the gaps of your existing coverage. You can’t get a Medigap plan if you have Medicare Advantage.
- AARP is a nonprofit organization that offers its members Medigap plans through UnitedHealthcare.
- There are eight AARP Medigap plans available, although not every plan can be purchased in every state or ZIP code.
- Like all Medigap plans, AARP plans are designed to cover some of the gaps in Medicare coverage, such as copays, coinsurance, and deductibles.
- Each plan varies in terms of coverage and cost. The cost you pay may be determined by your location.