United Healthcare Medicare Supplement Plans

Medicare supplement plans provide coverage for some of the out-of-pocket costs not paid by Original Medicare.

United Healthcare offers a variety of Medicare supplement plans, including plans that help pay some benefits for senior care and senior living services.

What Are United Healthcare Medicare Supplement Plans?

United Healthcare recognizes that out-of-pocket costs are sometimes expensive for seniors and disabled individuals covered under Original Medicare. Medigap plans offered by United Healthcare help pay coinsurance or co-payments, deductibles, and other out-of-pocket health care costs.

United Healthcare abides by federal and state regulations, including the requirement that each policy must indicate it is “Medicare Supplement Insurance” at the beginning of the first page.

If you and your spouse want to purchase a Medigap policy, you each purchase a separate policy because a Medicare supplement plan only covers one person. United Healthcare agents assist individuals and spouses in selecting the best Medicare supplement plan for their needs.

The fact that you possibly have different health care coverage needs than your spouse likely makes the requirement that each person purchases his or her own policy beneficial, including those with senior care and senior living coverage needs, such as skilled nursing facility care or hospice coinsurance coverage.

What Do United Healthcare Medicare Supplement Plans Cover?

United Healthcare offers seven Medicare supplement plans, each with its own coverage benefits. If you have Medicare Part A and Part B, United Healthcare likely has ideal Medicare supplement plan options to help you.

All private insurance companies providing Medigap policies must provide either Medigap Plan A as well as Plan C or Plan F. The availability of plans in your area depends on where you live.

Plan A covers Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs for up to 365 additional days after you use all your Medicare benefits. Plan A also pays Part B coinsurance or co-payments, first three pints of blood and Part A hospice care coinsurance and co-payments. This plan does not pay skilled nursing facility care coinsurance, Part A or Part B deductibles or foreign travel.

Plan B provides the same coverage, with the exception that Plan B pays your Part A deductible.

Medicare supplement Plan C, also offered by United Healthcare, features the same benefits as Plan B. It also covers your Part B deductible and provides 100 percent coverage for skilled nursing facility care, likely of interest to individuals or family members seeking a Medigap plan with some senior care and senior living benefits. Plan C also pays 80 percent of foreign travel exchange benefits, up to the plan limit.

Medigap supplement Plan F provides a variety of benefits that help reduce out-of-pocket expenses after Medicare pays its portion of coverage costs. Other than Plan C, Plan F is the only Medigap plan that pays your Part B deductible and the only plan other than Plan G that covers Part B excess costs.

United Healthcare also offers Plan K and Plan L. These plans do not offer as much coverage as other plans. Plan K pays 50 percent of skilled nursing facility care coinsurance and hospice care coinsurance or co-payments. Plan L pays 75 percent of these costs. Coverage offered under Plan K and Plan L possibly has an effect on which United Healthcare Medicare supplement plan is the best choice for you, particularly if you are looking for coverage for senior care or senior living options.

Plan N provides coverage for Part B coinsurance except for a charge of up to $20 for office visits and $50 for visits to the emergency room that do not lead to hospital admission. Plan N also covers Part A deductible and 100 percent of Part A coinsurance or co-payment for hospice care and skilled nursing facility care coinsurance.

Medicare supplement plans do not offer dental, vision or prescription drug coverage.

What Do United HealthCare Medicare Supplement Plans Cost?

Plan costs vary by the Medicare supplement plan you choose, the insurance company selling your Medigap plan and other potential factors. If you pay your premiums on time, your coverage automatically renews each year.

If you choose a Community-Rated plan, you pay the same premium as you age and any increase is not related to age. An Issue-Age-Rated policy bases your premiums on your age at the time of purchase, while an Attained-Age-Rated policy increases as you get older.

How Do I Enroll In A United Healthcare Medicare Supplement Plan?

United Healthcare explains that your Medicare supplement open enrollment period starts the first day of the month that you are both age 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B.  Open enrollment lasts for six months.

The company indicates that enrolling during this period guarantees your right to purchase a United Healthcare Medicare supplement plan, potentially a crucial factor for individuals seeking coverage for some expenses associated with senior care and senior living.