Medicare Supplement (Medigap)

Policies The state of Delaware requires insurers to sell Medicare Supplement policies only to people with ESRD (End-stage Renal Disease).

High-Risk Pool
Many States offer special health insurance programs for persons who are medically uninsurable due to preexisting medical conditions. However, Delaware does not provide this special health insurance program for persons who fall in this high risk insurance pool.

Mini-Cobra Policies (Small Group)
Federal Law requires large businesses to provide health insurance for their former employees up to eighteen months after a split. In most cases, smaller businesses (2-19 employees) are required to cover their employees, too. However, this is not required in the state of Delaware.

State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program
Many states have Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (SPAP) that help residents pay for prescription drugs as a result of financial needs, age, and/or medical conditions. Many states have specific restrictions on who can receive these benefits. In order to receive assistance from the state of Delaware, you must be diagnosed with Chronic Renal Disease. Furthermore, the individual’s gross countable income must be below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.

State Medicare Savings Program
Most states have a form of premium support for low-income Medicare beneficiaries; the amount of support is directly correlated to the beneficiary’s income as a percentage of the Federal Poverty Level.

In Delaware,

Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries: For individuals with a monthly income under $903 and for couples with a monthly income under $1215, the state pays all premiums for Part B and all Co-Pays and Deductibles for Medicare Part A & Part B.
Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries: For individuals with income under $1083 or couples with income under $1457, the state pays premiums for Part B.
Qualified Individuals: For individuals with income under $1219 or for couples with an income under $1640, the state pays premiums for Part B.
Qualified Disabled and Working Individuals: For individuals with income under $3,695 and couples with income under $4,942, the state pays premiums for Part A.

State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)
ELDERinfo is a public service of the State of Delaware Insurance Department and funded in part by a grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and also in direct relation to the national SHIP program. ELDERinfo is a program designed to help Delaware’s Medicare beneficiaries and their families deal with the complex and often confusing health insurance system. ELDERinfo helps by providing information counseling and assistance on questions and problems related to:

Medicare
Medicaid
Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)
Long-term Care Insurance
Prescription Drug Assistance Programs
And other types of health insurance.

Low-Income Subsidy (“extra-help”) for Prescription Drugs
This program is a subsidy for Part D recipients with resources under $13,070 (or $26,120 for a couple) to receive money towards a Medicare prescription drug plan. The benchmark of support is different depending on which region of the country you live in. In Delaware in 2012, the low-income subsidy was $34.57.

ELDERinfo counselors are volunteers who have completed an extensive training course on health insurance. These counselors provide assistance in an objective manner either face-to-face or on their toll free telephone number.

If you live in Delaware, and you are interested in getting a Medicare Plan, please contact the Medicare experts at eAmeriFamily Insurance. They are industry veterans and will guide you through the process of getting the right Medicare, Medicare Advantage, MediGap, or Medicare Supplement Plan for you.