Mississippi Medicare Plans in 2021
If you’re eligible for Medicare in Mississippi, it’s important to know what your options are. This will help you make informed choices when selecting your coverage. Medicare is a national health program, run by the federal government, for people ages 65 and over and those with certain disabilities. You get some parts of Medicare, known as original Medicare, directly from the government.
You can also
purchase Medicare plans through private insurance companies. These plans
can add to or replace your original Medicare coverage.
What is Medicare?
The
Medicare coverage available from the government is often referred to
as original Medicare. It has two parts: Part A and Part B.
Original Medicare
Part A helps pay the costs of inpatient care services you get in a hospital setting. Part A may also pay for:
- hospice care
- a limited amount of the costs for care at a skilled nursing facility (SNF)
- some home health services
Part B helps pay for costs that include:
- outpatient care
- medical supplies
- preventive care you get in a doctor’s office.
You do have to pay a premium for Part B. The amount varies depending on factors such as your income.
While
Medicare pays a significant portion of these costs, it doesn’t pay 100
percent of them. You’ll still pay for copays, coinsurance, and
deductibles. These costs can add up, especially if you have to seek care
often. Plus, original Medicare doesn’t cover any costs of
prescription drugs; long-term care; or dental, hearing, or vision
services. But you do have options for expanding your coverage, discussed
below.
You can buy Medicare
supplement plans, sometimes called Medigap plans, from private insurers.
These plans help cover the gaps in original Medicare coverage. They
may help lower out-of-pocket costs, such as copays and coinsurance. And
they may add services like dental, vision, hearing, or long-term care
coverage.
Medicare Advantage (Part C)With Medicare
Advantage plans, you have the option to combine coverage into a single
plan from a private insurer rather than get original Medicare plus
supplemental coverage.
Medicare Advantage plans are a full
replacement you can enroll in instead of getting original Medicare.
These “all in one” plans cover all of the same benefits as original
Medicare.
They also have expanded coverage you might get from
Medicare supplements, such as lower out-of-pocket costs, prescription
drug benefits, dental and vision coverage, and so on.
Medicare Part
DAnother specific type of Medicare plan is Part D. These are
prescription drug plans that focus solely on helping pay the costs of
prescription medications.
Who’s eligible for Medicare in Mississippi?
You can enroll in a Medicare plan in Mississippi if you:
- are age 65 or older
- are younger than age 65 and have a qualifying disability
- are any age and have end stage renal disease (ESRD), which means that you have kidney disease that’s progressed to the point of requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant
When can I enroll in Medicare Mississippi plans?
Your initial enrollment period for Medicare begins 3 months before the month of your 65th birthday and continues for 3 months after, regardless of whether you’re retired or have plans to retire anytime soon.
It usually makes sense to enroll in at least Part A at this time, since you likely can get it without paying a premium. Part A will coordinate benefits with any other coverage you have.
If you choose to continue working, or if you qualify for employer-sponsored coverage through your spouse, you may decide to not enroll in Part B or any supplemental coverage just yet. In these cases, you’ll qualify for a special enrollment period later on.
There’s also an open enrollment period every year. During this time, you can enroll for the first time or change plans. The open enrollment period for Medicare Advantage plans is January 1 through March 31 each year.
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