Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation
1717 W. Broadway, P.O. Box 8190 Madison, WI 53703-8190
Peace of mind is part of the plan
Medicare is a valuable benefit, but it doesn’t pay for everything. If you have Medicare alone, there’s a chance you could be left with the inconvenience of covering the 20% that Medicare usually leaves behind. Our Medicare supplement insurance helps reduce these out-of-pocket costs when you need medical care, giving you greater peace of mind.
No worries for less stress and greater well-being
No hassles for more time to go out and enjoy life
No networks so you can wander without worry
Plus, special programs to help you save
Plan Materials
Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) FAQs
In most cases, yes. You can go to any doctor, health care provider, hospital, or facility nationwide that's enrolled in Medicare and accepting new Medicare patients. There are no networks with our Medicare supplement insurance plans. Referrals are not required.
Original Medicare combined with a Medicare supplement insurance plan has some similarities to Medicare Advantage, but they are actually very different. One of the most important decisions you have to make is what type of Medicare coverage to enroll in. There are multiple factors to consider. It can be easy to make the wrong choice, a choice you may not be able to undo.
No, Medicare supplement insurance policies and Medicare Advantage plans can’t work together. You cannot have both a Medicare supplement insurance plan and a Medicare Advantage plan at the same time.
If you joined a Medicare Advantage Plan for the first time and you aren’t happy with the plan, you have special rights under federal law to buy a Medicare supplement policy. You have these rights if you return to Original Medicare within 12 months of joining.
In most cases, you can only leave a Medicare Advantage plan during certain times of the year, such as:
The best time to buy a Medicare supplement insurance policy is the six-month period that starts the first day of the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. For example, if you turn 65 and are enrolled in Part B in June, the best time for you to buy a Medicare supplement policy would be from June until November. If you have questions, please call us at 1-800-332-0892.
You have an Open Enrollment Period when you turn 65, or if you’re collecting Social Security disability insurance. This window:
If you enroll during your Open Enrollment Period, you have guaranteed issue rights. This means an insurance company is required to:
Applying outside your open enrollment window can result in higher premiums, as well as restrict your coverage options. However, you can still apply to enroll in a Medicare supplement insurance plan at any time of the year.
There are a handful of instances in which you are eligible for guaranteed issue rights with Medicare supplement insurance plans in Illinois. They usually occur when you lose coverage for reasons out of your control or when you move. Some of the situations when an insurance company can’t refuse to sell you a Medicare supplement policy include when:
It’s critically important to find out from the employer whether you need to enroll in Medicare. If you do, find out exactly how the employer coverage fits in with Medicare. If you’re told you don’t, get that decision in writing. If you’re over 65 and receive coverage under a group health plan provided by an employer for which you or your spouse actively works, you have the right to delay Medicare enrollment until the job ends or the coverage ends, whichever occurs first. At that point, you’re entitled to a special enrollment period of up to eight months to sign up for Medicare without risking late penalties.
If the employer has 20 or more employees, the law stipulates that those 65 and older (and their spouses) must be offered exactly the same health benefits that are offered to younger employees (and their spouses). In this situation, the employer cannot require you to sign up for Medicare when you turn 65 or become eligible for Medicare due to disability.
However, the law does not give the same protection to people who work for smaller employers with fewer than 20 employees. In this situation, an employer is allowed, but not obligated, to require you to sign up for Medicare when you become eligible. In that case, Medicare would become your primary coverage. That means Medicare would settle your medical bills first, and the employer plan would only pay toward services that it covers but Medicare doesn’t. Therefore, if you are required to sign up for Medicare but don’t, you’ll essentially be left with little or no health coverage.
There is one situation when you definitely will need to delay Medicare enrollment until you retire: if your employer’s coverage is a high-deductible health care plan paired with a health savings account (HSA). Under IRS rules you cannot contribute to an HSA in any month in which you are enrolled in any part of Medicare (Parts A, B, or D).
Medicare supplement insurance plans are “guaranteed renewable,” meaning as long as you pay the premium, the insurance company cannot cancel the coverage.
Plans that offer the most comprehensive coverage usually have a higher premium. Premiums vary by insurance company and premium amounts can change multiple times a year. Our rates only increase once a year, so there are no surprises. The main goal of a Medicare supplement insurance plan is to help cover some of the out-of-pocket costs of Original Medicare (Parts A and B).
Please refer to the Outline of Coverage or search and compare Medicare supplement plans offered by your ZIP code in Illinois at Medicare’s official website.
No, a Medicare supplement plan does not include outpatient prescription drug benefits. Instead, Medicare offers prescription drug coverage under a stand-alone Part D plan.
Medicare supplement insurance plans typically do not offer coverage for routine dental, vision, or hearing care, or for prescription drugs, but some plans offer stand-alone programs. Our Medicare supplement insurance plans come with the following services at no additional cost in Illinois:
Typically, no. If your provider participates in Medicare (also called accepting Medicare assignment), they will file the claim with Medicare. Medicare will then automatically forward the claim to your insurer for processing.
No, a Medicare supplement policy only covers one person. If you and your spouse both want Medicare supplement coverage, you will have to buy separate policies. However, we offer a 7% household discount when two or more individuals who reside together in the same dwelling each have our Medicare supplement coverage in Illinois. A dwelling is defined as a single home, condominium unit, or apartment unit within an apartment complex.
Yes, you get a 7% household discount when two or more individuals who reside together in the same dwelling have our Medicare supplement coverage in Illinois. A dwelling is defined as a single home, condominium unit, or apartment unit within an apartment complex.
You can keep your current Medicare supplement insurance policy no matter where you live within the United States, as long as you still have Original Medicare. If you want to switch to a different Medicare supplement insurance policy, you'll have to check with your current or new insurance company to see if they'll offer you a different policy. If you decide to switch, you may have to pay more for your new Medicare supplement insurance policy. You may also have to answer some medical questions if you're buying a new policy outside of your Open Enrollment Period.
Yes, if you have Original Medicare with a Medicare supplement, you are covered anywhere in the United States that accepts Medicare.
Plans C, D, F, G, M, and N include some coverage for foreign travel emergency care outside of the U.S. If the emergency care is considered by Medicare to be medically necessary, these plans will pay 80% of the billed charges after you meet a $250 deductible for the year. These policies have a lifetime limit of $50,000.
Yes! You can discuss your specific medical and financial needs so you can find the best Medicare supplement plan for you. You can speak with a licensed agent at 1-800-332-0892. You can also speak with a local agent who is listed with us.
In some states, Medicare supplement standardized insurance plans are offered to qualified individuals under the age of 65 and/or to Medicare-qualified individuals due to disability or end-stage renal disease. You can call us at 1-800-332-0892 to talk with a licensed agent to find out if you are eligible.
The best plan is one that meets your individual needs, both medically and financially. You can speak with a licensed agent at 1-800-332-0892, call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE, or contact an independent agent. If you are already a customer, please call the number on your ID card.
1Vision and hearing programs are not insurance, are not part of the insurance policy, and can be changed or discontinued at any time. Vision program is administered by EyeMed Vision Care, LLC. Hearing program is administered by Hearing Care Solutions, Inc. 2Two or more individuals who reside together in the same dwelling. In Indiana, this includes your spouse no matter if you reside in the same dwelling or not. Dwelling is defined as a single home, condominium unit, or apartment unit within an apartment complex. If you no longer meet the requirements, we may remove the discount.
Although we must sell you a policy during your open enrollment period, we may require a waiting period of up to six months before covering your preexisting conditions. A preexisting condition is a condition for which: (1) medical advice was given from a physician within six months prior to your effective date; or (2) treatment was recommended or received from a physician within six months prior to your effective date. There is no waiting period if you are 65 or older and had prior coverage. You are not covered for preexisting conditions until after a six-month waiting period. However, you will not have a waiting period if on the day preceding your effective date under one of our Medicare supplement policies you had continuous creditable coverage of at least six months. If your continuous period of creditable coverage was less than six months, we will shorten the six-month waiting period by the time served under the prior coverage.