Plan J is no longer offered to new Medicare beneficiaries. But what if you already have a Plan J? Should you change it?
Why was was Medigap Plan J removed?
When Congress passed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, the structure of Medicare was forever altered. Among other things, this act signaled the beginning of Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. This meant that Plan J’s prescription coverage was now duplicated and that Plan J as a whole was becoming outdated. With the removal of drug coverage from Plan J, it was then nearly identical to Plan F. Thus, the closure of Plan J was simply a matter of duplication.1
In June of 2010, the Medicare Modernization Act was passed, and Plan J was …show more content…
Over the years, Medicare has changed what they cover, and now Medicare does cover preventative care and at-home recovery. Therefore, the extra benefits provided by Plan J are now duplicated and rendered unnecessary.Prior to June of 2010, any consumer shopping for “full coverage” for their Medigap plans were told that Plan J was the full coverage option. Now that Plan J is no longer offered to any folks that are looking for “full coverage” for their Medigap plan, they are now offered Medicare supplement Plan F.Plan F has the same benefits coverage as Plan J, minus the Preventative Care and At-Home Recovery services. Now that Medicare covers those two line items, the plans perform equally, in terms of coverage.3
If I have a Plan J, what should I do?
First of all, you do not have to do anything. All enrollees in an expired plan (including Plan J) are able to keep their plan with no loss of benefits. That said, we always recommend comparison shopping. It’s likely the insurance carrier’s rate increases for expired plans are higher than average and that can add up quickly.
If you do decide to comparison shop and want to maintain the level of coverage you have with Plan J, we recommend Plan F. This is the highest level of Medicare Supplement insurance coverage you can get now and is similar in design to Plan
Why was was Medigap Plan J removed?
When Congress passed the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, the structure of Medicare was forever altered. Among other things, this act signaled the beginning of Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. This meant that Plan J’s prescription coverage was now duplicated and that Plan J as a whole was becoming outdated. With the removal of drug coverage from Plan J, it was then nearly identical to Plan F. Thus, the closure of Plan J was simply a matter of duplication.1
In June of 2010, the Medicare Modernization Act was passed, and Plan J was …show more content…
Over the years, Medicare has changed what they cover, and now Medicare does cover preventative care and at-home recovery. Therefore, the extra benefits provided by Plan J are now duplicated and rendered unnecessary.Prior to June of 2010, any consumer shopping for “full coverage” for their Medigap plans were told that Plan J was the full coverage option. Now that Plan J is no longer offered to any folks that are looking for “full coverage” for their Medigap plan, they are now offered Medicare supplement Plan F.Plan F has the same benefits coverage as Plan J, minus the Preventative Care and At-Home Recovery services. Now that Medicare covers those two line items, the plans perform equally, in terms of coverage.3
If I have a Plan J, what should I do?
First of all, you do not have to do anything. All enrollees in an expired plan (including Plan J) are able to keep their plan with no loss of benefits. That said, we always recommend comparison shopping. It’s likely the insurance carrier’s rate increases for expired plans are higher than average and that can add up quickly.
If you do decide to comparison shop and want to maintain the level of coverage you have with Plan J, we recommend Plan F. This is the highest level of Medicare Supplement insurance coverage you can get now and is similar in design to Plan