Oregon Medicare Supplement Plans

There are more than 3.79 million people living in Oregon (2008 US Census Bureau estimate) and 13.3% of these residents are over 65 years of age. This is slightly greater than the national average of 12.8% of US residents over 65.  If you are a member of this group and are enrolled in Social Security you are probably already enrolled in Medicare.

What you need to know is that Standard Medicare Insurance does not cover all your health care expenses.
Oregon Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans, also known as Oregon Medigap Insurance is private health insurance that is designed to supplement Standard Medicare Insurance. The Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) encouraged the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) to modernize the Medigap insurance marketplace. NAIC developed a revised set of Medicare Insurance Plans.

These changes become effective from June 2010 and will delete some existing plans and add others.  Oregon offers all the standardized plans and they will be the same plans offered in most other states.

Oregon Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans are Standardized

Since Oregon Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans are standardized, you will get the same coverage for the same plan with any insurance company you choose.  If you get the Mutual of Omaha Plan N it provides the same coverage as a Blue Cross Blue Shield Plan N, Humana Plan N or any other company that offers Medigap coverage. As long as you choose the same plan, the only difference will be the cost, and this difference can be substantial.  You can pay three times as much for the same coverage if you aren’t careful.

                 Medicare Supplement Plans/Rates, Just A Click Away

                                                                       OR

                           Call Now for Medigap Supplement Insurance Quotes

                                                              888.502.5553

Insurance companies are not required to offer all the available plans. Some offer only a few. This makes it critically important for you to look at multiple Medicare Supplement Insurance Companies to find the best price possible for the exact same coverage.  Here is an overview of the various Plans available to Oregon residents:

                 Medicare Supplement Plans/Rates, Just A Click Away

                                                                       OR

                           Call Now for Medigap Supplement Insurance Quotes

                                                              888.502.5553

Federal-State Effort to Protect Medicare/Medicaid Patients

The following is taken from the Oregon Insurance Division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services:

“Salem, Oregon – State and federal authorities are asking Oregon care facilities to monitor and report inappropriate behavior by agents attempting to sell Medicare insurance to some of the state’s poorest and sickest residents.
Authorities are concerned about agents who sell Medicare health and prescription drug plans to “dual eligibles,” the low-income seniors and younger persons with disabilities who are enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid.

Nearly 82,000 Oregonians qualify for both of these government programs. Many face significant health needs, including some in nursing homes.

“These Oregonians need careful counseling to ensure they enroll in health or prescription drug plans that can best meet their medical needs and budget limits,” said Lisa Emerson, manager of the Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) program, which is part of the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services and offers free Medicare counseling.”

“While most agents provide a valuable service in helping clients with Medicare, a minority fail to take the care they should with these clients by not enrolling them in the best plans based on their health/drug needs or by changing their plans to generate commissions and not better coverage, state and federal officials said.”

Choose the Plan that Fits Your Needs

This open letter to the residents of Oregon highlight the diligence needed in choosing a Medicare Supplement Plan.  It can be a daunting task.  The Oregon Insurance Division provides a list of over 40 insurance companies authorized to transact business in the state of Oregon.

You could call each company and deal with a salesperson to determine which plans they offer and how much they cost.  You can see this would be very time consuming. Or you could just fill out the form at the top of the page or call to speak with an Oregon Medicare Supplement Plan agent and get the lowest current cost quote from all the companies that offer the plan you need.

Planning for your retirement doesn’t mean spending more than you have to on Supplemental Health Insurance.

                 Medicare Supplement Plans/Rates, Just A Click Away

                                                                       OR

                           Call Now for Medigap Supplement Insurance Quotes

                                                              888.502.5553