Medicare can be confusing. We’re here to help you navigate the process. In just 45 minutes, you’ll learn about Medicare and its parts, the pros and cons of your options and much more. Get the facts to help you make the right decision for you—all from the comfort of your home.
1-800-236-1448 | medicaresolutions@wpsic.com
In most cases, yes. You can go to any doctor, healthcare 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 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. Visit our explainer video page for more information on the differences between Medicare Supplement Insurance and Medicare Advantage.
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.
The best time to buy a Medicare Supplement 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 1-800-236-1448.
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 healthcare 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 Plans typically do not offer coverage for routine dental, vision or hearing care, or for prescription drugs, but some plans offer stand-alone programs. WPS Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans come with the following services:
Yes, if you have Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement, there is no network so you are covered anywhere in the United States that accepts Medicare.
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 TruHearing, Inc. (formerly Hearing Care Solutions, Inc.) 2Fitness program is not insurance, is not part of the insurance policy and can be changed or discontinued at any time. WPS has partnered with Wisconsin YMCAs to provide a membership for our fitness program. All YMCA programs and services are not available in all areas. Participating facilities and memberships may vary by location and are subject to change. Limitations and restrictions may apply. The fitness program includes all Wisconsin YMCA locations except for the Hudson YMCA, which is part of a Minnesota YMCA association and not included in the program. 3 WPS has partnered with Delta Dental to provide an option to purchase a dental policy when you purchase a WPS Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan. Dental policies are underwritten by Delta Dental of Wisconsin. This is an advertisement for insurance. Neither Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation, nor its agents, nor products are connected with the federal Medicare program.
