West Virginia Senior Health Insurance
Explore Your Options
Enriched with history, state parks and beautiful landscapes many people choose to retire in West Virginia. For whatever reason you decide to retire in West Virginia, it’s important to understand your different Senior Health Insurance options. Once you become eligible for Medicare a whole new array of options becomes available to you. MySeniorHealthPlan.com was created to help you understand these options and make a smooth transition into a Medicare Supplemental Plan.
Residents in West Virginia are able to enroll into a Medicare Supplement Plan (Medigap), Prescription Drug Plan (Part D or PDP) or Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C).
Medicare Supplement Plans are available statewide. This type of plan is standardized by the government and is designed to cover gaps in Medicare Parts A and B. This coverage includes deductibles and copays. Depending on the policy type you choose, you will have different benefits and coverage. Medigap policies range from 10 different standardized polices (for example “Plan F” to “Plan N”) and will have different levels of coverage. Though benefits won’t change between carriers, customer service, premiums and rate increases will. It may not always be the best choose to go with a carrier with the lowest rate at the time you sign up, but one you know has a history of smaller rate increases and great customer service. A specialist at MySeniorHealthPlan.com can help you make an informed decision.
Medicare Supplements don’t include prescription drug coverage, so they are often paired with a stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan (Part D). Prescriptions are covered based on their tier level, which is located in each plan’s formulary. Not taking any prescriptions? Most people still obtain Prescription Drug coverage to avoid getting the Part D penalty. To learn more about the penalty click here.
Another reason that it is important to have prescription drug coverage is to ensure that you are covered should you need prescriptions in the future. If you need Extra Help paying for your prescriptions, please visit http://www.socialsecurity.gov/medicare/prescriptionhelp/
West Virginia has multiple different options for Medicare Advantage Plans. However, it’s extremely important to note that these plans are county specific. Many people like to enroll into the same plan a loved one has, however if they reside in a different county, it may not be available. These are network-based plans and depending on plan type you may need to obtain a referral from your Primary Care Physician in order to see a specialist. Medicare Advantage Plans are managed health plans approved by Medicare. You will still have Medicare however Medicare benefits will be covered by your plan. To learn about the Medicare Advantage Plans available in your area contact a specialist at MySeniorHealthPlan.com.
Senior Resources:
Medicare: www.medicare.gov
West Virginia Department of Human Services: http://www.dhhr.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx
West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services: http://www.wvseniorservices.gov/
