How can I get coverage to help pay what Medicare doesn pay on Medicare covered services, like dialysis?
Insurance companies sell Medicare supplement plans or “Medigap” plans that help pay Medicare deductibles and coinsurance. In most states, these plans follow a model set up by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The NAIC labels plans with the letters A to L. Every “A” plan is the same. The same is true of every “L” plan, etc. This makes it easy to shop for a plan, because all you have to do is compare the premiums and make sure your healthcare providers accept that plan. Companies are not required to sell all plans in your state. Three states do not follow the NAIC model—Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Federal law requires that if you are 65 or older and sign up for Medicare Part B, you have a 6 month open enrollment period to buy a Medigap plan—even with kidney failure. You can’t be turned down or charged more than other 65 year olds. The company must count any months you had other insurance toward your 6-month waiting period for pre-existing conditions
