Providers News About Us Contact Us Search BlueAccess® Login/Pay Bill Learn About Medicare Shop Our Plans Find a Provider Find a Prescription Don’t delay! Medicare Advantage open enrollment ends Dec. 7, 2021. Find your 2022 plan now. Learn about Medicare Medicare was designed to help you afford good health care. It comes in Parts A, B, C, D. Parts A and B are called “Original Medicare” and are provided by the government. Parts A and B cover some basics, like hospital stays and doctor visits, but they don’t cover everything. You’ll want more coverage to help pay for services not included in Original Medicare or to add benefits like prescription drug coverage or dental insurance. Part A (Hospital insurance) Helps cover: Inpatient care in a hospital Skilled nursing facility care Hospice care Home health care Part B (Hospital insurance) Helps cover: Services from doctors and other health care providers Outpatient care Home health care Durable medical equipment (like wheelchairs, walkers and hospital beds) Many preventive services (like screenings, shots and wellness visits) Part C (Medicare Advantage) Helps cover: Medicare Advantage is an "all in one" alternative to Original Medicare (Parts A & B). These bundled plans include Part A, Part B and usually Part D. Run by private insurance plans with their own local network of providers, generally an HMO or PPO style plan. They may include extra benefits like hearing and dental. Part D (Medical Prescription Drug Cov.) Helps cover: Cost of outpatient prescription drugs Covers generic and brand-name drugs Run by Medicare-approved private insurance companies, with standardized benefits Available as a stand-alone plan or to complement your existing coverage. Medicare Supplement Insurance* Also referred to as Medigap, this optional coverage is private health insurance that helps supplement Original Medicare. It helps pay some of the health care costs that Original Medicare doesn't cover (like copayments, coinsurance and deductibles). Medicare Supplement Insurance plans are identified by letters such as Plan A. The basic benefits of each plan are exactly alike for all insurance companies. To purchase a supplement policy, you must be enrolled in both Part A and Part B. * Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or Federal Medicare Program. If you have any questions about Medicare or your eligibility, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213. TTY users should call 1-800-325-0778. Enrollment details Working for Kansas since 1942, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas has been a solid neighbor you can trust. Just like you, we call Kansas home. What is important to you, is important to us. Get original Apply for Medicare benefits (Part A and B) if retiring at age 65(and not already receiving Social Security benefits) three months before your 65th birth month. Complete your coverage Call us to review options to help bridge the gaps in your Medicare coverage. You are guaranteed acceptance with Blue Cross when enrolling within six months of your Part B effective date or 65th birthday. Enroll in a Part D Prescription Drug plan if not covered under Medicare Advantage. Renew or change each year Protect the whole you with additional coverage such as Dental, Hospital Indemnity, or a Cancer plan. LEARN MORE Things to know if you're still working past 65 If you are enrolled in employer-sponsored health insurance and you plan to keep working, you need to know your options. Here are some important things to know about how you might want to use Medicare. How many people are in your company? 20 OR MORE 19 OR LESS When you work for a larger employer, you have choices: Staying on Employer's Plan Your employer-sponsored health insurance will be the "primary payer" and Medicare will be the "secondary payer". In other words… When you file a claim, your employer-sponsored health insurance will pay first and Medicare will pay second. Leaving Employer's Plan for Medicare As great as it is… Medicare alone can leave you responsible for thousands of dollars out of your pocket. If you cancel your employer-sponsored health insurance for Medicare, you will want to add a Medicare Supplement, like Plan 65. Plan 65 helps fill the gaps that Medicare leaves behind. Here's how to sign up for Medicare. Visit medicare.gov Visit Medicare.gov to apply for Medicare online. Or, you can go to your local Social Security office - You’ll need an original or certified copy of your birth certificate, any W-2 forms from the past two years and your Social Security Number (SSN) or card. Ready to enroll in Medicare? Visit Medicare.gov to apply for Medicare online. MEDICARE.GOV IMPORTANT: If you decide not to enroll in Medicare Part B when you're first eligible, you may have to pay late-enrollment fees should you decide to enroll at a later date. Plus, you may be responsible for the medical expenses Medicare Part B would have covered. MEDICARE RESOURCES Medicare Part D plan — Blue MedicareRX ScriptSave discount prescription drug program Medicare Advantage member resources Kansas Insurance Department Social Security Administration Plan 65-Select Hospitals Medicare.gov Medigap Information FAQs about Plan 65 and Medicare Required statements and disclosures e_716 10/19 Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or the Federal Medicare Program. Rev. 10/19 DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE Call us now 866-647-6705 (TTY 711) Medicare Advantage: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday-Saturday All other inquiries: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday medicare@bcbsks.com Careers Work for one of the most trusted companies in Kansas. APPLY NOW Information Contact Us Privacy and Legal Help Careers En Español Non-Discrimination, Translation and Interpretation Services Site Resources Glossary Security Tips Contact Webmaster Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas serves all counties in Kansas except Johnson and Wyandotte. ®Registered Trademarks of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. If you have any questions or comments about this site, please notify our webmaster.