Medigap Plan N Rates in Oregon

By Corin Faye
eMedicareSupplements Senior Writer

If you are an Oregon resident looking for a Medigap plan that offers broad coverage at lower costs, consider the new Medicare Supplement Plan N. Among the benefits of Plan N is 100 percent coverage of the Part A deductible, although you must pay copays for doctor’s visits and for emergency room services (if you are admitted to the hospital, however, the emergency room copay is waived). Plan N doesn’t offer coverage for the Part B deductible, but it does offer the 365-day coverage extension of inpatient hospital care, Part B coinsurance coverage, foreign travel emergency coverage, hospice care and the three first three pints of blood each year.

Several Oregon insurance companies offer Plan N, although they often adjust rates based on gender, age, tobacco use and the region of the state where a beneficiary resides. Here we have listed the lowest available rates for each insurance carrier offering Plan N.

Lowest Rates Offered by Oregon Carriers of Medigap Plan N

Three Oregon insurance companies offer Medigap Plan N at the same rate for men and women. ODS offers the plan for a starting rate of $122 per month. UnitedHealthcare offers Plan N for a monthly premium as low as $70.35. Lifewise offers Plan N at for a monthly premium that starts at $138.

The remaining Oregon insurers who offer Plan N do so with different rates for men and women. Sentinel Life offers Plan N for as low as $86.57 per month for men and $75.28 per month for women. Assured Life and Woodmen of the World offer Plan N for a starting monthly premium of $89.34 to men and $77.72 to women. The lowest available rates from Sterling Investors are $80.67 for men and $70.08 for women. And UCT sells Plan N starting at $116.11 for men and $100.90 for women.

If you smoke, the rate penalties for Plan N can be steeper than some of the other supplemental plans, and you can expect to pay as much as 31 percent more for your policy in Oregon. If your insurer varies rates by region and you don't live in the cheapest region, your premium will only go up a couple dollars per month in most cases.

Designed to be a cost-sharing plan, Plan N balances expenses through copayments and out-of-pocket fees while insuring full coverage of almost all benefits once you have paid your limit. You save money if you have few medical needs in a given year, yet you have a safety net of coverage if your expenses exceed your copayment or deductibles. The premiums for Plan N are 70 percent less than the premiums for Plan F and 77 percent less than those for Plan D, the two comprehensive plans most comparable to Plan N that Plan N was designed to resemble at a lower cost. Plan N is stirring up interest among people because of its effective coverage offered at low monthly rates. If you are looking for a way to keep get broad coverage and feel secure, yet also cut costs wherever possible, Plan N might be the right supplemental insurance for you.