Medicare Sign Up - Medicare Plans Texas

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• Part A:  Hospitalization
• Part B:  Medical Insurance
• Part D:  Prescription Drug Benefit
• Eligibility:  Age 65, Under age 65 if on Social Security Disability, over age 65 and lose credible coverage

Medicare Plans Texas:

• Must have parts A&B of Medicare
• Extra Insurance to cover some of the costs that original Medicare does not cover
• Purchased through private insurance companies
• No referrals required. Freedom to choose any nationwide provider who accepts Medicare
• Guarantee renewable as long as premium is paid
• Standardized benefits no matter the insurance company
• Very little out of pocket expenses so costs are manageable
• Prescription benefits are not included in most plans
• Plans do not include coverage for vision, dental or hearing

Medicare Plans Texas:

• Must have parts A&B of Medicare
• Combines original Medicare A&B and can include Part D with extra benefits that original Medicare does not provide.
• Purchased through private insurance companies who manage the benefits - not the federal government
• Plans can require the use of a provider network, referrals to Specialists, and can have different out of pocket expenses
• Plans are required to meet or exceed the coverage that original Medicare provides
• Some plans include coverage for vision, dental, hearing and even gym memberships

• Helps pay for prescription medications
• Optional coverage, but a penalty is applied to the premium if a plan isn't chosen when eligible
• Purchased through private insurance companies
• Each plan has a "formulary" or list of covered drugs
• Drugs are categorized by tier; lower tiers are generally less expensive
• Generally plans can be changed every year during annual enrollment

Medicare Sign Up:

• Apply for parts A&B of Medicare online through your ssa.gov account, in person at your local Social Security Administration (SSA) office, or over the phone with the SSA
• Upon receiving approval of parts A&B of Medicare, you can submit applications for the supplemental coverage of your choice
• The team at GCEBS will gather some basic information from you and provide quotes and benefit comparisons from multiple carriers