nevada-medicare-plans

Nevada Medicare Plans

When it comes to Nevada, Las Vegas instantly jumps to mind. While it’s a great place to see, you may find yourself exploring Hoover Dam, Lake Tahoe, or even Reno. Its full of national parks and home to the annual Burning Man Festival. Although Nevada may sound very fast-paced, it is also the home to many retirees. There are over 1/2 of one million people enrolled in Medicare in Nevada! Luckily, Nevada has a wide range of Medicare options to guarantee beneficiaries full-coverage insurance options to limit worry about costs during retirement. 

What are Medicare Options in Nevada?

Nevada, like many states, offers the standard Medicare Supplement plans, also known as Medigap plans. If you are a resident, you can choose from the following plans: A, B, C, D, F, G, H, K, L, M, N, high-deductible Plan F, and high-deductible Plan G. You’re able to enroll during the year, but if you want your coverage to be guaranteed, you want to enroll during your open enrollment period in Nevada.

What are the Most Popular Medicare Supplement Plans in Nevada?

When is the Open Enrollment Period in Nevada?

When becoming Medicare eligible in Nevada, you can enroll in any Medicare Supplement within your first six months of your Medicare Part B effective date, set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, also known as CMS. This is considered your open enrollment period.  

medicare-open-enrollmentDuring this time, insurance carriers are required to approve your MediGap application, and are prohibited from declining the coverage you need because you have a pre-existing condition. You can still apply outside of this window, but you will be required to go through medical underwriting, and could be denied coverage based on your health history.

Can I Change Medicare Supplement Plans in Nevada?

In 2022, Nevada has introduced a brand new rule for beneficiaries to change their Medigap plans! Nevada is now one of few states that gives Medicare Supplement plan enrollees the ability to change their Medigap plans once per year with no medical underwriting. This is know as the Nevada Birthday Rule.

Nevada Birthday Rule 

The Nevada Birthday Rule surrounds your birthday and gives Medicare Supplement plan enrollees 60 days to change their Medigap plans with no medical underwriting or health questions, beginning in the first of their birthday month. The Nevada Birthday Rule window ends 60 days after the first of your birthday month.

nevada-birthday-medigap

Like all good things, however, there are a few rules to remember. The first rule is that you must already be enrolled in a Medicare Supplement plan to take advantage of the Birthday Rule. In other words, people with no additional coverage or Medicare Advantage plans do not qualify. The second rule is that you must change your plan to one of equal or lesser coverage. Essentially you can change from one Plan G to another Plan G or down to a Plan N, but you cannot use this rule to change from a Plan N to a Plan G.

Changing MediGap Plans without Nevada Birthday Rule

Outside of using the Nevada Birthday Rule, changing Medicare Supplement plans in Nevada follows the same guidelines as most other states. If six months have passed since your open-enrollment period for Medicare Part B ended, you will need medical underwriting to apply for or change your Medicare Supplement plan. Insurance carriers will look over your medical history, assessing health-related factors, to determine if you should be approved or denied coverage. Because these carriers can deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions, it’s suggested that you enroll in a Medigap plan during your open-enrollment period to ensure you are accepted before your health declines.

Medigap Plan F in Nevada

Medicare Supplement Plan F has been a very popular plan with Medicare beneficiaries over time. The reason for the popularity of Plan F, is that it covers the gaps left by Medicare with no deductibles or copayments. This means that Medicare Part A and B costs are covered with no additional out-of-pocket. However, if you became Medicare eligible after January 1st 2020, you are not eligible to enroll in MediGap Plan F. Luckily, there are other great Medicare Supplement plan options available.

Medigap Plan G in Nevada

Medicare Supplement Plan G is a very comprehensive Medicare Supplement plan with very little out-of-pocket expense. Once you have met your Part B annual deductible, MediGap Plan G becomes a full coverage plan, covering all of the gaps left by Original Medicare, with no additional out-of-pocket expenses. Plan G is typically a very cost-efficient plan with an affordable monthly premium to ensure gold-standard coverage.

Plan G can be a very good choice in Nevada. It's a great plan but we may also be able to find better value. Give us a call and we will look through all options.
Keith Armbrecht
Medicare on Video

Medigap Plan N in Nevada

Medicare Supplement Plan N is also a great, comprehensive MediGap plan available in Nevada. This plan has slightly more out-of-pocket cost than MediGap Plan G, but also comes with a lower monthly premium. As with Plan G, you are still responsible for the Medicare part B annual deductible. Once you have met this deductible, your Original Medicare coverage kicks in, but you still have some cost-share. With MediGap Plan N, you will pay copayments up to $20 for office visits, and up to $50 for ER visits that do not result in an inpatient admission. Plan N also has the possibility of an excess charges if you use a doctor or healthcare provider that does not accept Medicare Assignment. Excess charges can be up to 15% of the Medicare-approved payment. If the monthly premium difference between Plan G and Plan N is large enough, Plan N is often times a very attractive option for your Medicare Supplement plan.

What is the Cost of a Medicare Supplement Plan in Nevada?

Monthly premiums for Medicare Supplement plans are based on three main factors- age, gender, and location. There are other things that may impact your premium such as tobacco use. The premium amounts will vary based on these factors, so it is important to receive a quote based on your specific demographic information.

Medicare Plans in Nevada for Those Under 65

When it comes to Medicare in Nevada, there no Medicare Supplement plans offered to Medicare enrollees under age 65. Rather, if you are under 65 and on Medicare disability, you can apply for a stand-alone Medicare Part D plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan. 

Once you reach 65, more Medicare supplement plans will open up for enrollment in Nevada without any health questions. This period guarantees acceptance.

Medicare Advantage in Nevada

Nevada also offers options for Medicare Advantage plans. In these plans you must live in your plan’s service area and enroll during an appropriate election period.  Medicare Advantage plans do not required medical underwriting if enrolling during an election period, but are also significantly different plans than Medicare Supplement plans.

Medicare and Medicaid in Nevada

It is possible to qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid in the state of Nevada. These two programs, however, are separate and have different qualifications you must meet in order to receive benefits. To qualify for Medicaid, you must meet  state income requirements. To qualify for Medicare, you must be either over the age of 65, or under 65 but receiving Social Security Disability Insurance for a minimum of 24 months before applying for Medicare. 

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