The avalanche of Medicare supplement plans has created some confusion and frustration especially among the elderly who may not have someone to help them make the best decision based on their health and finances and a Modernized Medicare Supplement Plan would simplify their lives if their health was the major issue in their lives. Choosing a medicare supplement plan is hard for someone who lacks the patience to read through Plan G, Plan F, Plan L or something close to it offered by insurance carriers who are actually trying to give customers more options to choose from. A Modernized Medicare Supplement Plan or a reworking of an existing plan if it offered a real change would be nice for the elderly.
Making each possible rule and exception into another Plan is really confusing and somewhat irritating. Giving medicare covered people a supplemental insurance to bridge the medicare deductible for hospital care should not be as complicated as they are. Competition is fine but these medicare approved supplemental insurance companies could compete in terms of cost for premiums instead of competing for the most confusing. Modernizing is not always the best course of action but reducing the confusion would be acceptable.
Taking the confusion out of the services covered and the premiums charged and allowing medicare recipients to pay for their premiums directly from their social security might be a step in eliminating confusing language in medigap or similar supplemental insurance plans which would be a step towards a Modernized Medicare Supplement Plan. Of course, no one wants to lose some services provided by these supplemental insurances just for the sake of brevity and simplicity. Insurance companies who offer health coverage to medicare recipients should be encourage to explain their coverage and the terms of their coverage in language that an elderly person can understand without needing to spend hours trying to figure it out.