Are There Out-Of-Pocket Costs If Medicare Parts A & B Are Primary?
When a person reaches his or her golden years, one of the last things he or she wants to think about is Medical Insurance. Eligibility for Medicare may serve as a reminder of a person’s age, but the existence of the program gives an older U.S. Citizen or permanent legal resident one less thing to worry about as they get older.
What About Out-of-Pocket Costs?
When Medicare Parts A and B are primary cover broad areas of a person’s health. They may reduce the overall cost of healthcare, but there are some items they do not cover. One important item is the cost of prescription drugs. Even when dealing with the items that the program does cover, there is no guarantee that it will cover it all.
An individual with Medicare Parts A and B may still have to supply some co-pays out of his own pocket. The co-pays are usually smaller than they might be with a more traditional insurance plan, but a person should still prepare for them.
How Can I Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs if Medicare Parts A and B are Primary?
The best way to reduce how much a person pays from his own funds for this type of coverage is to buy a Medigap plan designed to cover the items Medicare does not cover. It also, typically, reduces the co-pay a person has to pay at the doctor’s office. Purchasing Medicare supplemental insurance may not reduce the person’s financial obligation to his doctor entirely, but it can certainly make it easier to bear.
A person whose Medicare Parts A and B are primary still must pay for prescription drugs on his own, unless he has coverage under Medicare Part D or a private insurance plan. A person who has a private plan for his own coverage in addition to Medicare will follow different rules and must worry about primary and secondary payers.
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