Medicare Supplement Plan L is one of two Medicare supplement (Medigap) plans that include a yearly out-of-pocket limit. The other is Medicare Supplement Plan K.
For plans with an out-of-pocket limit, after you meet your yearly Part B deductible and your out-of-pocket yearly limit, the plan pays for 100 percent of covered services for the rest of the year.
With original Medicare (Part A, hospital insurance and Part B, medical insurance), there is no cap on your annual healthcare costs. Limiting the amount of money spent on healthcare is one reason people purchase a Medicare supplement plan (Medigap).
Because Medicare Supplement Plan L has an out-of-pocket limit, choosing this supplement can help you better plan for your medical expenses. That’s because you’ll know the maximum you may have to spend in any given year for covered medical conditions.
An out-of-pocket limit may be especially beneficial if you:
- have high costs for ongoing medical care due to a chronic health condition
- want to feel prepared if faced with a highly expensive unexpected medical situation
Most Medigap policies cover coinsurance afteryou’ve paid the deductible. Some also pay the deductible. Coverage withMedicare Supplement Plan L includes:
- Part A coinsurance and hospital costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are used up: 100 percent
- Part A deductible: 75 percent
- Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment: 75 percent
- blood: 75 percent (first 3 pints); 95 percent (after first 3 pints and Part B deductible)
- skilled nursing facility care coinsurance: 75 percent
- Part B coinsurance or copayment: 75 percent
- Part B deductible: not covered
- Part B excess charge: not covered
- foreign travel exchange: not covered
- out-of-pocket limit: $3,110 in 2021, with 100 percent of covered services for the rest of the year paid after you meet your yearly Part B deductible and your out-of-pocket yearly limit
Because original Medicare doesn’t cover all healthcare costs, private companies can sell supplemental insurance to Medicare recipients to help cover those expenditures.
These standardized policies follow federal and state laws, although standardization in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin are different. In most states, Medicare supplemental insurance plans are identified by the same letter, so Medicare Supplement Plan L will be the same from state to state.
Eligibility for Medigap requires that you:
- have original Medicare parts A and B
- have your own policy (your spouse requires their own separate policy)
- pay monthly premiums in addition to your Medicare premiums
You cannot have both Medicare supplemental insurance (Medigap) and a Medicare Advantage plan.
Medicare Supplement Plan L is a Medigap policy that helps cover healthcare costs that original Medicare doesn’t cover. One of its features, offered by only one other Medigap policy, is setting a yearly limit on the amount of money you will spend out-of-pocket.
The yearly out-of-pocket limit may be especially beneficial if you:
- have a chronic health condition with high costs for ongoing medical care
- want to be prepared for potentially expensive unexpected medical emergencies
Review the costs and benefits of adding a Medigap policy to your original Medicare. If Medigap is the right decision for your health care and financial needs, you have a choice of 10 Medigap plans, each offering different levels of coverage and options. If a limit on out-of-pocket spending is important to you, consider Medicare Supplement Plan L.
Medicare plan options and costs are subject to change each year.