Medigap in Minnesota
If you live in Minnesota, you have the right to buy a Medicare Supplement plan, also called Medigap coverage. But some of the plans sold in Minnesota are different from Medigap policies sold in other states.
Types of Minnesota Medigap Policies
Medigap plans can help you cover health care costs that Original Medicare — Medicare Part A and Part B — does not cover. Minnesota is one of three states that the federal government has given waivers to set up their own standardization of Medigap plans. The other two are Massachusetts and Wisconsin.
There are 10 standardized Medicare Supplement plans under federal rules and five of those are available in Minnesota, along with Medicare Select plans that are available in several states and three types of plans unique to Minnesota.
- Basic*
- Basic with riders*
- Extended Basic *
- Medigap Plan F
- Medigap Plan K
- Medigap Plan L
- Medigap Plan M
- Medigap Plan N
- Medicare Select
The Basic, Basic with riders and Extended Basic all contain some common benefits.
- Medicare Part A hospitalization coinsurance coverage
- Medicare Part A hospice and respite cost sharing expenses
- Medicare Part B medical coinsurance coverage (usually 20 percent of medical bills)
- Medicare Part A and Part B home health care and supplies cost sharing expenses
- First three pints of blood each year
Medigap plans are sold through private insurers. In 2020, there were 21 insurance companies that sold Medicare Supplement plans in the state, according to the Minnesota Commerce Department.
Comparing Minnesota’s Medigap Plans
Minnesota’s unique plans are primarily the Basic and Extended Basic plans. Extended Basic provides more coverage and can cost more.
| Benefits | Basic Plan | Extended Basic Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Basic benefits | Yes | Yes |
| Coverage while in a foreign country | No | 80 percent up to $1,000 in a calendar year — 100 percent after $1,000 is reached in a year |
| Emergency health care while traveling in a foreign country | 80 percent | 80 percent |
| Medicare-covered preventive care | Yes | Yes |
| Outpatient mental health care | 50 percent | 50 percent |
| Part A inpatient hospital deductible | No | Yes |
| Part A skilled nursing facility coinsurance | Yes (up to 100 days care) | Yes (up to 120 days care) |
| Part B deductible | No | Yes (only if you were eligible before Jan. 1, 2020) |
| Physical therapy | 20 percent | 20 percent |
| State mandated health care benefits (cancer screenings, diabetes equipment and supplies, immunizations and reconstructive surgery) | Yes | Yes |
| Usual and customary health care fees | No | 80 percent up to $1,000 in a calendar year — 100 percent after $1,000 is reached in a year |
Another option is the Minnesota Basic plan with riders. Riders are extra options that can be purchased and added to an insurance policy — in this case your Medigap Basic plan. There are four additional riders you can choose from.
- Part A inpatient hospital deductible coverage
- Part B deductible coverage (only available to people who were eligible before Jan. 1, 2020)
- Usual and customary health care fees
- Non-Medicare covered preventive care
A Basic plan with riders policy allows you to tailor your coverage to give you more than Basic coverage but with less cost and without unwanted coverage of Extended Basic.
As an alternative to Medigap plans offered in Minnesota, residents who are eligible for Medicare also have the option to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. These plans are run by private insurers and most include prescription drug coverage (Part D).
Note that you cannot enroll in both a Medigap plan and a Medicare advantage plan.
2 Cited Research Articles
- U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Medigap in Minnesota. Retrieved from https://www.medicare.gov/supplements-other-insurance/how-to-compare-medigap-policies/medigap-in-minnesota
- Minnesota Commerce Department. (n.d.). Medicare. Retrieved from https://mn.gov/commerce/consumers/your-insurance/health-insurance/medicare.jsp