Medicare Supplement Plan Overview

Why You Need Medicare Supplement Insurance

Medicare is a federal program to help older Americans and some disabled Americans pay for the high cost of health care. However, Medicare was never intended to cover all your health care costs. So even if you’re covered by Medicare, you are still responsible for a large portion of your health care costs. Without Medicare Supplement insurance, your out-of-pocket costs could add up to more than $60,424 this year alone.

What Medicare Doesn’t Cover

Medicare does not cover all health care costs. Medicare coverage consists of Part A (which covers hospital and skilled nursing facility care), and Part B (which covers doctor bills and other medical expenses).

Even with Medicare Part A and Part B coverage, you’re responsible for some out-of-pocket expenses including:

• Part A hospital deductible ($1,632)
• Part B deductible ($240)
• Copayments for hospital stays over 60 days
• Care in a skilled nursing facility after 20 days
• Twenty percent coinsurance for doctor bills and other medical expenses

By law, Medicare Supplement insurance is standardized into twelve plans (Plans A through L). That means Plan G from one company must include the same benefits as plan G from another company. While the benefits must be the same, each company’s rates, reputation, membership features and quality of service can vary. With Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, you don’t have to sacrifice comprehensive benefits or freedom-of-choice for affordability. Their Medicare Supplement plans provide substantial benefits at rates that can save you money over other plans.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Member Benefits

All Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Medicare Supplement plans give you:

• Guaranteed Acceptance with no health questions asked
• Freedom to choose any doctors or specialists
• Coverage with domestic travel (Plans F, HD-F, G, HD-G, Plan G Plus, and N cover foreign travel)
• Guaranteed renewability regardless of changes in your health
• Coverage guaranteed to match Medicare’s cost increases year after year
• Blue Extras Member Discount Program that include discounts on wellness products and services including vision, fitness clubs, weight management, complementary alternative medicine, hearing and more
• No claim forms, in most cases

Medicare Supplement Basic Benefits

Basic benefits included in all plans include:

• Hospitalization – Part A coinsurance plus coverage for 365 additional days after Medicare benefits end.
• Medical Expenses – Part B coinsurance (generally 20% of Medicare-approved expenses), or in the case of hospital outpatient department services under a prospective payment system, applicable copayments.
• Blood – First three pints of blood each year.

*Plans K and L include benefits at different levels of cost sharing (see outline of coverage).

Premier Plans

• Of all available standardized plans, Plans F and Plan G offer the most complete protection for uncovered Medicare Part B excess charges. These are the most popular plans because they also pay the Medicare Part A hospital deductible and copayments, skilled nursing facility copayment and foreign travel emergency care.
• Plan F also covers the Medicare Part B deductible.

Budget-Conscious Plans

High Deductible Plan F, Plan K, Plan L and Plan N include cost-sharing features that allow you to save on premiums while still receiving dependable coverage.

• High Deductible Plan F features a $2,490 annual deductible before plan benefits begin
• Plan N features an office visit and emergency room copayment applicable to each visit
• Plans K and Plan L feature cost sharing for covered services under Medicare Part A and Part B. Once your annual out-of-pocket expenses reach the required limit, the plan pays 100% of covered expenses for the remainder of the calendar year.

If you are seeking the most basic benefit plan with the lowest cost, BCBSIL offers Medicare Supplement Plan A. For more detailed explanations on all the available BCBSIL Medicare Supplement plans and benefits, you can Compare BCBSIL Medicare Supplement Plans.

BCBSIL Medicare Supplement Plans – Quick Comparison Table

Plans	A	F, HD-F*	G	K**	L**	N
Basic Benefits				100%/50%	100%/75%	copay applies
Skilled Nursing Coinsurance	–			50%	75%	X
Part A Deductible				50%	75%	X
Part B Deductible	–		–	–	–	–
Part B Excess (100%)	–			–	–	–
Foreign Travel Emergency	–			–	–
At Home Recovery	–	–	–	–	–	–
Annual Out-of-Pocket Cost	–	$0	$0	$6,620	$3,310	$0

*Plan F also has an option called high deductible Plan F (HD-F). This high deductible plan pays the same benefits as Plan F after one has paid a calendar year $2,490 deductible. Benefits from high deductible Plan F will not begin until out-of-pocket expenses exceed $2,490. Out-of-pocket expenses for this deductible are expenses that would ordinarily be paid by the policy. These expenses include the Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B deductibles, but do not include the plan’s separate foreign travel emergency deductible.

**Plans K and L provide for different cost-sharing than plans A-F. Once you reach the annual limit, the plan pays 100% of the Medicare copayments, coinsurance and deductibles for the rest of the calendar year. The out-of-pocket annual limit does NOT include charges from your provider that exceed Medicare-approved amounts, called “excess charges.” You will be responsible for paying excess charges.

Part B medical excess: Charges from your provider that exceed Medicare-approved amounts. Only Plan F, High Deductible Plan F, and Plan G cover these charges. For all other plans, you are responsible for paying excess charges. In no case can a provider charge more than 115% of the Medicare approved amount.

Skilled nursing coinsurance: Medicare pays the first 20 days of treatment in a skilled nursing facility, and an annually adjusted per diem for the 21st through 100th day. Plans with this benefit pay an additional annually adjusted per diem for the 21st through 100th day. You are responsible for all charges after the 100th day. In order to receive any Skilled Nursing Facility benefits, you must meet Medicare’s requirements:

• You were admitted to a hospital for at least three days
• You were admitted to a Medicare-approved skilled nursing facility within 30 days of leaving the hospital

Foreign travel emergency: Medically necessary emergency care services beginning during the first 60 days of each trip outside of the United States. All plans offering this benefit require you to pay a foreign travel emergency deductible and a percent of costs after the deductible is met.

Preventive care: Some annual physical and preventive tests and services administered or ordered by your doctor when not covered by Medicare.

Reduced Premium Medicare Select Option

Med-Select Options

Plan F, Plan G, Plan K, Plan L, and Plan N Med-Select options offer you the same solid benefits as the “standard” plans, but cost less. You save on premiums simply by agreeing to use any of the Med-Select participating hospitals for non-emergency elective admissions. If you do not use one of these hospitals for your non-emergency admissions, you pay the $1,632 Part A deductible. Med-Select is not an HMO. With Med-Select, you are fully covered for emergency care at any hospital, and you can choose your own doctors and specialists.

Med-Select is available in specific geographic areas only. You must live within a 30 mile radius of a Med-Select participating hospital.

All 3 BCBSIL Medicare Supplement Plan G Plans (Standard, Select, and High Deductible) have Plus options. Medicare Supplement Plan G Plus plans have the same medical coverage and provider network as their regular versions as well as additional benefits and programs included so members can get more out of their Blue Medicare Supplement insurance plans.

Additional benefits and programs include dental, vision, hearing, and fitness.

BCBSIL Medicare Supplement –  Plan G Plus Benefits

Benefit	Description	Member Pays In-Network	Member Pays Out-of-Network
Dental	Preventative Services Cleanings, 2x per calendar year Oral Exams, 2x per calendar year Dental x-rays, 1x per calendar year Oral Cancer Screening, 1x per calendar year Extractions (unlimited) Restorative (filings), 1x per tooth per calendar year	0% 0% 0% 0% 25% 50%	50% 50% 50% 50% 50% 50%
Vision	Routine exam with dilation, 1x every 12 months Eye glasses or contact lenses (conventional & disposable)	$0 Remaining balance after $130 allowance	$40 Remaining balance after $65 reimbursement
Hearing	Routine exam, 1x every 12 months Advanced Hearing Aid Member Fee with recharge Premium Hearing Aid Member Fee with recharge	$0 $699/per aid $999/per aid
Fitness	Access to the SilverSneakers program

Free Online Quote

Medicare Supplement Plans

Plan F

Our Rating:

• Online Application

Plan F is the most popular Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Medicare Supplement plan. No other standardized Medicare Supplement plan offered in Illinois offers more complete protection for your uncovered Part B medical expenses than Plan F. It covers:

• Your Part A deductible and coinsurance
• The cost of 365 extra days of hospital care during your lifetime after Medicare coverage ends
• Your Part B coinsurance and the cost of the first three pints of blood
• Medicare Part A hospital deductible and copayments
• Skilled nursing facility copayment
• Foreign travel emergency care
• $240 Part B Medicare deductible
• Part B doctor charges that are in excess of Medicare-approved amounts

There is also a BCBSIL Medicare-Select Plan F that offers the same benefits as Standard Plan F but provides costs savings by agreeing to use a Medicare Select participating hospital for non-emergencies. You may still see any doctor you choose with Medicare-Select plans. If your hospital is part of the Medicare Select network, the Med-Select plan is a good option to consider.

High Deductible Plan F

Our Rating:

• Online Application

High Deductible Plan F has the same benefits as Plan F after you pay an annual $2,490 deductible. The deductible amount represents the annual out-of-pocket expenses (excluding premiums) that you must pay before the policy begins paying benefits. By having a high deductible, your premiums are significantly lower than Standard Plan F.

High Deductible Plan F covers:

• Your Part A deductible and coinsurance
• Your Part B coinsurance and the cost of the first three pints of blood
• Benefits from High Deductible Plan F will not begin until your out-of-pocket expenses total $2,490.
• Out-of-pocket expenses for this deductible are expenses that would ordinarily be paid by the policy.
• These expenses include the Medicare deductibles for Part A and B.
• These expenses do not include Plan F’s separate foreign travel emergency deductible.
• Medicare Part A hospital deductible and copayments
• Skilled nursing facility copayment
• $240 Part B Medicare deductible
• Part B doctor charges that are in excess of Medicare-approved amounts
• The cost of 365 extra days of hospital care during your lifetime after Medicare coverage

Plan G

Our Rating:

• Online Application

Plan G covers:

• Your $1,632 Part A deductible and coinsurance
• The cost of 365 extra days of hospital care during your lifetime after Medicare coverage ends
• Your Part B coinsurance and the cost of the first three pints of blood
• 80% of Part B physician charges that are in excess of the Medicare-approved amount (By law no physician may charge more than 115% of Medicare-approved amounts).
• Skilled nursing facility copayment
• Foreign travel emergency care

Plan G does NOT cover:

• Your $240 Medicare Part B deductible

There is also a BCBSIL Medicare-Select Plan G that offers the same benefits as Standard Plan G but provides costs savings by agreeing to use a Medicare Select participating hospital for non-emergencies. You may still see any doctor you choose with Medicare-Select plans. If your hospital is part of the Medicare Select network, the Med-Select plan is a good option to consider.

Plan K

Our Rating:

• Online Application

Plan K covers:

• Fifty percent of your Part A deductible and coinsurance
• The cost of 365 extra days of hospital care during your lifetime after Medicare coverage ends
• Preventive benefits for Medicare-covered services usually leave you with 25% to pay — plan K pays that 25%
• Ten percent of your 20% Part B coinsurance and the 50% of the cost of the first three pints of blood
• Fifty percent of the skilled nursing facility copayment
• Once you’ve reached your $6,620 annual out-of-pocket limit, the plan pays 100% of the Medicare copayments, coinsurance and deductibles for the rest of the calendar year.

There is also a BCBSIL Medicare-Select Plan K that offers the same benefits as Standard Plan K but provides costs savings by agreeing to use a Medicare Select participating hospital for non-emergencies. You may still see any doctor you choose with Medicare-Select plans. If your hospital is part of the Medicare Select network, the Med-Select plan is a good option to consider.

Plan L

Our Rating:

• Online Application

Plan L covers:

• Seventy-five percent of your Part A deductible and coinsurance
• The cost of 365 extra days of hospital care during your lifetime after Medicare coverage ends
• Preventive benefits for Medicare-covered services usually leave you with 25% to pay — plan L pays that 25%
• Fifteen percent of your 20% Part B coinsurance and the 75% of the cost of the first three pints of blood
• Seventy-five percent of the skilled nursing facility copayment
• Once you’ve reached your $3,310 annual out-of-pocket limit, the plan pays 100% of the Medicare copayments, coinsurance and deductibles for the rest of the calendar year.

There is also a BCBSIL Medicare-Select Plan L that offers the same benefits as Standard Plan L but provides costs savings by agreeing to use a Medicare Select participating hospital for non-emergencies. You may still see any doctor you choose with Medicare-Select plans. If your hospital is part of the Medicare Select network, the Med-Select plan is a good option to consider.

Plan N

Our Rating:

• Online Application

Plan N is identical to Plan G except there is a $20 copay for office visits and a $50 copay for emergency room visits. Like Plan G, Plan N does not cover the $240 Medicare Part B deductible.

Plan N covers:

• Your $1,632 Part A deductible and coinsurance
• The cost of 365 extra days of hospital care during your lifetime after Medicare coverage ends
• Your Part B coinsurance and the cost of the first three pints of blood
• 80% of Part B physician charges that are in excess of the Medicare-approved amount (By law no physician may charge more than 115% of Medicare-approved amounts).
• Skilled nursing facility copayment
• Foreign travel emergency care

Plan N does NOT cover:

• Your $240 Medicare Part B deductible
• Part B Medical Excess Charges – charges from your provider that exceed Medicare-approved amounts. Only Plan F, High Deductible Plan F, and Plan G, High Deductible Plan G, and Plan G Plus cover these charges. For all other plans, you are responsible for paying excess charges. In no case can a provider charge more than 115% of the Medicare approved amount.

There is also a BCBSIL Medicare-Select Plan N that offers the same benefits as Standard Plan N but provides costs savings by agreeing to use a Medicare Select participating hospital for non-emergencies. You may still see any doctor you choose with Medicare-Select plans. If your hospital is part of the Medicare Select network, the Med-Select plan is a good option to consider.

Basic Plan A

Our Rating:

• Online Application

Basic Plan A covers:

• Your Part A coinsurance
• The cost of 365 extra days of hospital care during your lifetime after Medicare coverage ends
• Your Part B coinsurance and the cost of the first three pints of blood

Medicare Select Plans

View list of Medicare Select Hospitals

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Medicare Select Plan options offer you the same solid benefits as the standard Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Medicare Standard Supplement Plans, but cost less. You save on premiums simply by agreeing to use any of the Medicare Select participating hospitals for non-emergency elective admissions as defined by the admitting hospital. If you do not use one of these hospitals for your non-emergency admissions, you pay the full Part A deductible. Medicare Select is not an HMO. With Medicare Select, you are fully covered for emergency care at any hospital, and you can choose your own doctors and specialists.

Medicare Select Plan options include Plan F, Plan G, Plan K, Plan L, and Plan N and are available in specific geographic areas only. You must live within a 30 mile radius of a Medicare Select participating hospital.

Medicare Select Plan Comparison

**Plans K and L provide for different cost-sharing than plans A-F. Once you reach the annual limit, the plan pays 100% of the Medicare copayments, coinsurance and deductibles for the rest of the calendar year. The out-of-pocket annual limit does NOT include charges from your provider that exceed Medicare-approved amounts, called “excess charges.” You will be responsible for paying excess charges.

Medicare Select Plan F

Our Rating:

• Online Application

Plan F is the most popular Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Medicare Supplement plan. No other standardized Medicare Supplement plan offered in Illinois offers more complete protection for your uncovered Part B medical expenses than Plan F. It covers:

• Your Part A deductible and coinsurance
• The cost of 365 extra days of hospital care during your lifetime after Medicare coverage ends
• Your Part B coinsurance and the cost of the first three pints of blood
• Medicare Part A hospital deductible and copayments
• Skilled nursing facility copayment
• Foreign travel emergency care
• $240 Part B Medicare deductible
• Part B doctor charges that are in excess of Medicare-approved amounts

Medicare Select Plan G

Our Rating:

• Online Application

Plan G covers:

• Your $1,632 Part A deductible and coinsurance
• The cost of 365 extra days of hospital care during your lifetime after Medicare coverage ends
• Your Part B coinsurance and the cost of the first three pints of blood
• 80% of Part B physician charges that are in excess of the Medicare-approved amount (By law no physician may charge more than 115% of Medicare-approved amounts).
• Skilled nursing facility copayment
• Emergency care for foreign travel

Plan G does NOT cover:

• Your $240 Medicare Part B deductible

Medicare Select Plan K

Our Rating:

• Online Application

Medicare Select Plan K covers:

• • Fifty percent of your Part A deductible and coinsurance
  • The cost of 365 extra days of hospital care during your lifetime after Medicare coverage ends
  • Preventive benefits for Medicare-covered services usually leave you with 25% to pay — plan K pays that 25%
  • Ten percent of your 20% Part B coinsurance and the 50% of the cost of the first three pints of blood
  • Fifty percent of the skilled nursing facility copayment
  • Once you’ve reached your $6,620 annual out-of-pocket limit, the plan pays 100% of the Medicare copayments, coinsurance and deductibles for the rest of the calendar year.

Medicare Select Plan L

Our Rating:

• • • Online Application

Plan L covers:

• • • 75% percent of your Part A deductible and coinsurance
    • The cost of 365 extra days of hospital care during your lifetime after Medicare coverage ends
    • Preventive benefits for Medicare-covered services usually leave you with 25% to pay — plan L pays that 25%
    • Fifteen percent of your 20% Part B coinsurance and the 75% of the cost of the first three pints of blood
    • 75% percent of the skilled nursing facility copayment
    • Once you’ve reached your $3,310 annual out-of-pocket limit, the plan pays 100% of the Medicare copayments, coinsurance and deductibles for the rest of the calendar year.

Medicare Select Plan N

Our Rating:

• • • Online Application

Plan N is identical to Plan G except there is a $20 copay for office visits and a $50 copay for emergency room visits. Like Plan G, Plan N does not cover the $240 Medicare Part B deductible.

Plan N covers:

• • • Your $1,632 Part A deductible and coinsurance
    • The cost of 365 extra days of hospital care during your lifetime after Medicare coverage ends
    • Your Part B coinsurance and the cost of the first three pints of blood
    • 80% of Part B physician charges that are in excess of the Medicare-approved amount (By law no physician may charge more than 115% of Medicare-approved amounts).
    • Skilled nursing facility copayment
    • Emergency care for foreign travel

Plan N does NOT cover:

• • • Your $240 Medicare Part B deductible

2024 BCBSIL Medicare Supplement Plan Rates

• Medicare Supplement Application
• 2024 BCBSIL Medicare Supplement Rates
• Online Application

The following rates shown are for Illinois residents living in:

• Cook
• DuPage
• Kane
• Lake
• McHenry
• Will Counties

**Disabled individuals under 65 enrolled in Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B are eligible to enroll in any plan at any time without any pre-existing condition exclusions, but will be charged the 100+ age rate. 

All rates below calculated at Non-Tobacco rate

Plan A Rates

Plan F Rates

High Deductible Plan F Rates

Plan G Rates

High Deductible Plan G Rates

Plan G Plus Rates

High Deductible Plan G Plus Rates

Plan N Rates

Med-Select Options

Plan F, Plan G, Plan K, Plan L, and Plan N Med-Select options offer you the same solid benefits as the “standard” plans, but cost less. You save on premiums simply by agreeing to use any of the Med-Select participating hospitals for non-emergency elective admissions. If you do not use one of these hospitals for your non-emergency admissions, you pay the $1,632 Part A deductible. Med-Select is not an HMO. With Med-Select, you are fully covered for emergency care at any hospital, and you can choose your own doctors and specialists.

Med-Select is available in specific geographic areas only. You must live within a 30 mile radius of a Med-Select participating hospital.

2024 BCBSIL Non-Metro Area Medicare Supplement Plan Rates

The following rates shown are for Illinois residents living OUTSIDE the following counties:

• Cook
• DuPage
• Kane
• Lake
• McHenry
• Will Counties

**Disabled individuals under 65 enrolled in Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B are eligible to enroll in any plan at any time without any pre-existing condition exclusions, but will be charged the 99+ age rate.

Plan A Rates

2024 Plan F Rates

2024 High Deductible Plan F Rates

Plan G Rates

Plan K Rates

Plan L Rates

Plan N Rates

Med-Select Options

Plan F, Plan G, Plan K, Plan L, and Plan N Med-Select options offer you the same solid benefits as the “standard” plans, but cost less. You save on premiums simply by agreeing to use any of the Med-Select participating hospitals for non-emergency elective admissions. If you do not use one of these hospitals for your non-emergency admissions, you pay the $1,632 Part A deductible. Med-Select is not an HMO. With Med-Select, you are fully covered for emergency care at any hospital, and you can choose your own doctors and specialists.

Med-Select is available in specific geographic areas only. You must live within a 30 mile radius of a Med-Select participating hospital.