What type of affordable medigap insurance is available that we could use in California and South Dakota -- or all states -- since we travel several months out of the year?
Good news. Any medicare supplement (medigap) policy can be used with any doctor or hospital in the country.
This is not the case, however, if you use a medicare HMO. Those plans limit coverage to certain doctors and hospitals, except in emergencies. "If you travel a lot, a medicare HMO network is not for you," says Deane Beebe, spokeswoman for the Medicare Rights Center.
If your medigap plan is a preferred provider organization, you will pay extra for using out of network doctors and medical facilities when you travel -- which may not make those plans very cost-effective for you, either.
If your travels take you outside of the United States, consider medicap policies C through J. They include foreign emergency coverage.
Check out Medicare.gov's Personal Plan Finder or your state insurance department's Web site for medigap prices (see our insurance page for links to the state regulators' Web sites). For a personalized price list, order Weiss Ratings'Shopper's Guide to Medicare Supplement Insurance, which costs $49.
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