Have a better plan.

In most cases, yes. You can go to any doctor, healthcare provider, hospital, or facility nationwide that’s enrolled in Medicare and accepting new Medicare patients. There are no networks with our Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans. Referrals are not required.

Original Medicare combined with a Medicare Supplement Plan has some similarities to Medicare Advantage, but they are actually very different. One of the most important decisions you have to make is what type of Medicare coverage to enroll in. There are multiple factors to consider. Understanding your options can help you make the best decision for you. Visit our explainer video page for more information on the differences between Medicare Supplement Insurance and Medicare Advantage.

No, Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans and Medicare Advantage Plans can’t work together. You cannot have both a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan and a Medicare Advantage Plan at the same time.

If you joined a Medicare Advantage Plan for the first time and you aren’t happy with the plan, you may have special rights under federal law to leave the Medicare Advantage plans and buy a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan. You will need to disenroll from your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare, Parts A and B. Then you can apply for a Medicare Supplement plan.³

In most cases, you can only leave a Medicare Advantage plan during certain times of the year, such as:

• The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP) between Jan. 1 and March 31.
• Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7. This is also called the Open Enrollment Period for Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug coverage.

The best time to buy a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan is the six-month period that starts the first day of the month you’re 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. For example, if you turn 65 and are enrolled in Part B in June, the best time for you to buy a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan would be from June until November. If you have questions, please call us 1-800-236-1448.

You have a six-month “Medigap Open Enrollment” period, which starts the first month you have both Medicare Part B and you’re 65 or older. During this time, you can enroll in any Medigap policy and the insurance company can’t deny you coverage due to pre-existing health problems. After this period, you may not be able to buy a Medigap policy, or it may cost more. Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a one-time enrollment. It doesn’t repeat every year, like the Medicare Open Enrollment Period.

In addition, if you are under age 65 years old and enrolled in Medicare due to disability or end-stage renal disease, you are entitled to another six-month open enrollment period upon reaching age 65.

Applying outside your open enrollment window can result in higher premiums, as well as restrict your coverage options. However, you can still apply to enroll in a Medicare Supplement Plan at any time of the year.³

There are a handful of instances in which you are eligible for guaranteed issue rights with Medicare Supplement Plans. They usually occur when you lose coverage for reasons out of your control or when you move. Some of the situations when an insurance company can’t refuse to sell you a Medicare Supplement Policy include when:

• Your Medicare Advantage plan is leaving your specific area or exiting the Medicare Advantage market.
• Your employer plan that supplements Medicare ends.
• You join a Medicare Advantage plan when you first become eligible for Medicare Parts A and B at age 65 and within one year of joining you decide to leave the MA plan; or you drop your Medicare Supplement policy to join a Medicare Advantage plan, for the first time and then leave the plan within one year after joining.
• You decide to move out of the plan’s service area.
• The insurance company did not follow the rules.

It’s critically important to find out from the employer whether you need to enroll in Medicare. When you do, find out exactly how the employer coverage fits in with Medicare. If you’re told you don’t need to enroll in Medicare, get that decision in writing. If you’re over 65 and receive coverage under a group health plan provided by an employer for which you or your spouse actively works, you may have the right to delay Medicare enrollment until the job ends or the coverage ends, whichever occurs first. At that point, you’re entitled to a special enrollment period of up to eight months to sign up for Medicare without risking late penalties.

If the employer has 20 or more employees, the law stipulates that those 65 and older (and their spouses) must be offered exactly the same health benefits that are offered to younger employees (and their spouses). In this situation, the employer cannot require you to sign up for Medicare when you turn 65 or become eligible for Medicare due to disability.

However, the law does not give the same protection to people who work for smaller employers with fewer than 20 employees. In this situation, an employer is allowed, but not obligated, to require you to sign up for Medicare when you become eligible. In that case, Medicare would become your primary coverage. That means Medicare would settle your medical bills first, and the employer plan would only pay toward services that it covers but Medicare doesn’t. Therefore, if you are required to sign up for Medicare but don’t, you’ll essentially be left with little or no health coverage.

There is one situation when you definitely will need to delay Medicare enrollment until you retire: if your employer’s coverage is a high-deductible health care plan paired with a health savings account (HSA). Under IRS rules you cannot contribute to an HSA in any month in which you are enrolled in any part of Medicare (Parts A, B or D).

No. Medicare Supplement Plans are “guaranteed renewable,” meaning as long as you were honest on your application and you continue pay the premium, the insurance company cannot cancel the coverage.

Plans that offer the most comprehensive coverage usually have a higher premium. Premiums vary by insurance company and premium amounts can change. At WPS our rates only increase once a year, so there are no surprises. The main goal of a Medicare supplement insurance plan is to help cover some of the out-of-pocket costs of Original Medicare (Parts A and B).

No, a Medicare Supplement Plan does not include outpatient prescription drug benefits. Instead, Medicare offers prescription drug coverage under a stand-alone Part D plan.

Medicare supplement plans typically do not offer coverage for routine dental, vision, or hearing care, or for prescription drugs, but some plans offer stand-alone programs. WPS Medicare supplement insurance plans come with the following:

• Fitness program¹
• Vision program¹
• Hearing program¹
• Optional dental²

Typically, no. If your provider participates in Medicare (or accepts Medicare assignment), they will file the claim with Medicare. Medicare will then automatically forward the claim to your insurer for processing.

No, a Medicare Supplement Policy only covers one person. If you and your spouse both want Medicare Supplement coverage, you will have to buy separate policies. However, WPS offers a 7% household discount when a member has a second household member who: is age 60 or older, has lived with the member continuously for the past 12 months or is also enrolled in or applying for a WPS Medicare supplement insurance policy.

Yes, you get a 7% household discount when a member has a second household member who: is age 60 or older, has lived with the member continuously for the past 12 months or is enrolled in or applying for a WPS Medicare supplement insurance policy.

You can keep your current Medicare Supplement Policy no matter where you live, as long as you still have original Medicare. If you want to switch to a different Medicare Supplement Policy, you’ll have to check with your current or new insurance company to see if they’ll offer you a different policy. If you decide to switch, you may have to pay more for your new Medicare Supplement Policy. You may also have to answer some medical questions if you’re buying a new policy outside of your open enrollment period.

Yes, if you have Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement, you are covered anywhere in the United States that participates in Medicare.

Most Medicare supplement Insurance carriers have plan options that include foreign travel emergency care that provide some medical insurance coverage when traveling abroad. WPS offers travel emergency coverage up to $100,000. Emergency medical expenses incurred within the first 60 days of travel are subject to a deductible of $250, followed by a coinsurance obligation of 20% of eligible charges. The maximum lifetime benefit payable under this coverage shall not exceed $100,000.

Yes! WPS offers regular free webinars that will explain Medicare and its parts, the pros and cons of different options, and more. You can sign up for one of our webinars. You can also call to speak with a licensed WPS Medicare Sales Consultant at 1-800-236-1448 or contact your local agent.

Yes! You can discuss your specific medical and financial needs so you can find the best Medicare Supplement Plan for you. You can speak with a licensed WPS sales consultant at 1-800-236-1448 or contact your local agent.

Yes, if you are eligible for Medicare, Wisconsin is a state that requires insurance companies to offer at least one kind of supplement policy to people with Medicare who are under age 65.

The best plan is one that meets your individual needs, both medically and financially. You can speak with a licensed WPS sales consultant at 1-800-236-1448, contact your local agent or call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE. If you are already a customer, please call the number on your ID card.

Policies may include preventive health care services such as routine annual physical examinations, immunizations, health screenings and private duty nursing services. Call WPS today at 1-800-236-1448 to see which of these services are covered.

Wisconsin is one of three states where Medicare Supplement Plans are standardized differently. Wisconsin offers Base Plans that you can pair with riders for more coverage. The best choice for you depends on your budget and needs. Talking to a WPS agent can make the process go faster and help you save money. Call us today at 1-800-236-1448.