Inside This Section

• Choosing the Right Medicare Option
• Original Medicare May not be Enough
• About ESSENCE Healthcare
• Why Choose ESSENCE?
• ESSENCE Plans Offered in Your Area

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Original Medicare may not be enough

If you already have Medicare, you probably already know that Original Medicare does not pay for all of a person’s health care needs. In most cases, people with Original Medicare must pay 20 percent of their medical bills and 100 percent of the cost of most prescription drugs. Without additional protection, an unexpected illness or injury could put your savings at risk.

There are many ways to get extra protection. Some people buy a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy to fill in the gaps of Original Medicare. This type of coverage can be very expensive and usually only covers the things that Original Medicare covers. People with a Medigap policy pay the same amount of money each month, even if they don’t see a doctor or visit the hospital. In general, Medigap policies do not cover most prescription drugs, so people with a Medigap policy usually need to buy stand-alone Part D coverage to enhance their Medigap policy.

Medicare Advantage plans, also called Medicare Part C plans, are another way that people can get their Medicare benefits. These plans are approved by Medicare and are offered by private companies with a government contract. Many Medicare Advantage plans offer extra benefits and lower co-pays than Original Medicare, and they often include Part D prescription drug coverage at little or no extra cost. Today, more than 10 million Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, according to recent enrollment figures provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

A Medicare Advantage plan may be a good option for you. In the next section, we’ll explain more about our company and the Medicare Advantage plans that we offer.