Although many people realize the importance of having a decent health care plan, there are other aspects that are oftentimes neglected because of the costs involved, especially for those individuals who are classified as seniors. You only have one set of permanent teeth, two ears, and two eyes to last you as long as you live, so the importance of good dental, hearing, and vision care cannot be over emphasized. Studies have shown that proper dental care can add as much as 8 years to a person’s life, so you can easily see the importance of this issue.

What You Need To Know

The actual Medicare plan does not cover dental, hearing, and vision care. However, you can purchase a policy to go along with your Medigap Supplement that will cover the following:

• cleanings & dental x-rays
• routine dental care, extractions & fillings
• fittings for hearing aids
• hearing aids
• routine vision screenings, glasses or contacts

A quality dental, vision & hearing plan will not have a network which means you can see any dentist you like. You should also get immediate coverage for exams and cleanings with no wait period. In addition, there are no health questions so everyone qualifies for the plan.

Most individuals purchase Medigap Insurance plans in order to cover the gaps in their basic Medicare coverage. As it currently stands, there are 12 different Medigap insurance plans to choose from, including Parts A and B, up to Plan N. In many cases, the gaps that are covered may include certain deductibles, co-insurances, and some of your co-payments. Coverage plans are all identical. However, the price you pay for them will vary from one insurance company to the next.

Basic Medigap Insurance Benefits

Just about anyone can purchase a Medigap Insurance plan. The plan provides additional benefits to a person’s current coverage so that those unexpected health care expenses will be covered should they arise. However, they do not cover dental, vision and hearing so that is why it’s a good idea to look into an additional policy for those benefits. Costs are determined by the amount of coverage that the individual needs. Most importantly, there are few if any restrictions associated with coverage qualifications. However, this does depend on the insurance company chosen.

One of the most important decisions that you will ever need to make may just involve selecting a Medigap insurance plan that addresses your specific needs and fits within your budget along with a quality dental, vision and hearing plan.