Jeffrey D. Says:
Hi Ron,
Are the same Medicare Advantage plans available in every state?
Medicare Expert Ron Elledge Says:
Hello Jeffrey,
I’m happy to answer your question but I may take a long road to get there… Bear with me.
Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private insurance carriers and are primarily funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The amount CMS contributes to each plan is determined by several factors.
One of the major factors is the Bidding process. Each plan submits a bid to Medicare, based on the estimated cost of Part A and Part B benefits per person. Next, Medicare compares the amount of the bid against the benchmark. The benchmark is a percentage of costs of average Medicare spending per individual.
Here is the point of my sharing this: each county in the United States has its own benchmark. It reflects the practice patterns of resident healthcare providers that bill Medicare. Practice patterns differ among counties, so their benchmarks also differ.
This makes it imperative that Medicare Advantage Plans are tied to and based on county proximity, therefore Advantage Plans are widely variable throughout the U.S.
Because of this fact, counties with larger populations offer more, varied, and less expensive plans than counties with smaller populations.
So, the county you live in will determine the availability, cost, and strength of Medicare Advantage Plans. Example: In the state of Wyoming, Advantage plans have only become available in the past two to three years and in most counties of the state there is still only one carrier.
Although plans differ throughout the U.S., Advantage Plan availability is good in most of Louisiana. In the Baton Rouge area, there are over 40 Advantage Plans available with very good benefits and costs.
You should be able to find a strong plan with the benefits I look for when considering expats and foreign travelers.
You can read much more about the Medicare benefits available to you in my book, Medicare Made Easy: What Expats, Frequent Travelers, And You Need To Know.
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