What Is The Difference Between Secondary Insurance And Supplemental Insurance? 
Secondary insurance would refer to an individual under 65 health insurance policy or a group health insurance policy through your employer . Medicare Supplement insurance -LRB- also referred to as Medigap plans -RRB- help cover the `` gaps '' in original Medicare -LRB- the common name for your Medicare Part A & Part B coverage -RRB- . Original Medicare pays for approximately 80 % of your health care expenses leaving you responsible for the other 20 % . While 20 % does n't seem like much , the dollar amount it equates to can become a very large figure if you have to go to the hospital , have surgical procedures , or get a bunch of tests done . Depending on which Medicare Supplement plan you get -LRB- there are 11 different plans in total -RRB- , it can help cover all or a portion of that other 20 % . The 11 different plans available are plans A , B , C , D , F , G , K , L , M , N , and high-deductible plan F. High-deductible plan F features the same benefits as plan F , except it has a deductible to be met first -LRB- $ 2,180 in 2015 -RRB- - the trade-off being a much reduced premium -RRB- . Each plan offers certain benefits some more comprehensive than others . Each plan must cover a core set of benefits -LRB- also known as the basic benefits -RRB- . The basic benefits are : 1 -RRB- Medicare Part A coinsurance plus coverage for 365 additional days after Medicare benefits are used up . 2 -RRB- Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment 3 -RRB- First 3 pints of blood 4 -RRB- Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment There 's a total of 9 benefits that can be secured . The other 5 benefits available under a Medigap plan are : 1 -RRB- Skilled Nursing Facility Care coinsurance 2 -RRB- Medicare Part A deductible 3 -RRB- Medicare Part B deductible 4 -RRB- Medicare Part B excess charges 5 -RRB- Foreign travel emergency -LRB- up to plan limits -RRB- Each plan features a different structure , Each plan covers a different combination of these 9 benefits -LRB- some of the plans feature coinsurance or copayments for certain benefits -RRB- . Medicare Supplement plans F and G are the most comprehensive and by far the most popular because they create the most predictable expense structures for seniors . If you 're looking for prescription drug coverage as well , that can be added via a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan . When you 're looking to buy a Medicare Supplement plan , you should consult with an independent Medicare Supplement insurance agent to review the plans in detail to see which one will best serve your needs , help you identify all of the carriers offering Medicare Supplement plans in your zip code , and which one will be able to offer the coverage to you at the lowest cost -LRB- the plans are standardized so the coverage of a given plan letter is exactly the same regardless of you have the coverage through - the only difference is the price you pay for it . I hope the information is helpful - please feel free to contact me for help with your coverage and if you have any other questions . Thanks very much . 