Medicare is estimated to cover less than 50 percent of beneficiaries' total health care costs.  These "gaps" in coverage combined with high cost-sharing requirements result in Medicare households spending an estimated 15 percent of their income on health care services and premiums.

Based on these figures, it makes sense that nine out of 10 Medicare beneficiaries rely on supplemental coverage to fill in these gaps and protect themselves from these substantial costs.  Nearly 10 million beneficiaries have done so through the purchase of Medicare supplemental insurance policies and Making the Medigap Choice.

Why Choose Medigap?

If you are a traditional Medicare beneficiary experiencing these gaps in coverage, a Medigap policy can help you lower your out-of-pocket costs and increase your health insurance coverage.  Some Medigap policies also cover other extra benefits not covered under Medicare, such as Medicare Part B excess charges (the difference between your doctor's charge and the Medicare-approved amount) and foreign travel emergency health care expenditures.