Medicare Advantage health plans provide different ways to get your health care
coverage in the Medicare program. The Medicare Advantage health plan that you
choose affects many things like cost, benefits, doctor choice, convenience,
and quality.
Medicare Advantage (formerly Medicare + Choice) Plans are available in many
areas. If you have one of these plans, you don't need a Medigap policy.
If you decide to join a Medicare Advantage Plan, then you will use the health
care card that you get from your Medicare Advantage Plan (provider) for your
health care. These plans often give you more choices and, sometimes, extra benefits,
like extra days in the hospital.
To join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you must have Medicare Part A and Part B.
You will have to pay the monthly Medicare Part B premium of $88.50 in 2006 to
Medicare. In addition, you might have to pay a monthly premium to your Medicare
Advantage Plan for the extra benefits that they offer.
If you're in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you don't need a Medigap policy because
Medicare Advantage Plans generally cover many of the same benefits that a Medigap
policy would cover, like extra days in the hospital after you used the number
of days that Medicare pays for.
Medicare Advantage Plans (PPO HMO and PFFS) are now available in many parts
of Washington. These are the Medicare HMO and PPO Plans which have co-payments
for Doctors office visits and Hospitals. Unless you are in Final Stage Renal
Failure, these plans are "Guaranteed Issue". We like to remind people
that these are "managed care plans", and that Medicare is no longer
your primary insurance, the HMO is. So if you do not follow the rules of the
plan you do not have coverage.
For information on this type of plan, or to see what might be available in your
area, please call 800.762.8309, send us an email for information, or complete
this contact form.
Plan Name
Benefit Summary
Monthly Premium
SecureHorizon by United Healthcare MedicareEssential
Plan (MA) and the MedicareComplete (MAPD)
(Cowlitz County Only)