Have Your Heard About Zero-Premium Medicare Advantage Plans?

Medicare Advantage plans, also known as Part C, are available with monthly premiums as low as $0. It's something not everyone knows, and if you're about to become eligible, you owe it to yourself to find out more. In the Garden State, a range of New Jersey zero plans are available from leading health insurance carriers. These companies accept a monthly payment from Medicare and with it cover all of your health costs – and no monthly premium for you. In 2019, 30-percent of NJ Medicare recipients chose zero plans, thus reducing their monthly expenses. If you're on a fixed income, it's beneficial.

If you're just beginning to find out more about the benefits of enrolling in Medicare Advantage, you can either research yourself or talk to an independent agent like Philadelphia's Broad Zero. Agents can be significant time savers as they provide you with a wealth of information that could take hours or days to read on your own. It's also crucial to compare your needs against the benefits and perks offered by the plans and make informed choices and comparisons. Because the plans compete against each other, the benefits are not always the same, and some offer more than others. Good agents make it easy for you.

Original Medicare, which includes Parts A and B, is an 80/20 plan meaning that it pays 80-percent of costs, and recipients pay 20-percent themselves. Part C Medicare Advantage plans cover their members' health care costs without the 80/20 split; and, depending on which plan you choose, there may be $0 monthly premium cost. Those are referred to as zero plans and are increasingly popular. In Advantage plans, members customarily see doctors and specialists who are in a provider network. For members who live in urban areas, the networks are generally extensive and provide choices.

Also, because each Medicare Advantage provider designs its own benefit offering, some provide added perks. These might be rides to and from your doctor appointments or credits toward the purchase of over-the-counter medicines. It's also likely they may help cover the cost of prescriptions and visits to the dentists and eye doctor. Taken all together, they have significant advantages over traditional Medicare, which includes only 80-percent of hospitalization and doctor expenses. With life expectancies on the rise, conserving your cash and avoiding monthly premium expenses with zero plans can be a wise move.