Does my Medicare Supplement Cover Surgery? |Boomer Benefits

Does My Medicare Supplement Cover Surgery?

April 16, 2014 By Danielle Kunkle Leave a Comment

Your Medicare Supplement covers surgery after Medicare first pays its share. Many people mistakenly believe that surgery is covered under Medicare Part A hospital benefits. However, surgery is covered as an outpatient benefit under Part B even if you stay overnight in the hospital to have the surgery performed.

A good rule of thumb to determine what is covered by your Medicare supplement, is simply to know that if Medicare covers a procedure, then your Medicare supplement covers the portion that would usually be left to paid by you. Surgery is an outpatient benefit under Medicare Part B, so your surgery would be covered like this: Medicare pays 80% and your supplement pays 20%, after you have first met your once-annual Part B deductible.

Medicare supplements cover surgeries that are reasonable and necessary. If your surgery is for cosmetic reasons or is related to routine foot care, then Medicare nor your supplement will pay anything toward it. Your Medicare supplement, by law, cannot pay for anything that Medicare doesn't first approve. If Medicare denies your bill, then your  supplement will also deny you for the 20% that it might have paid.

So how can you determine if your benefits will cover your specific procedure? Well, if you work with a full service agency like ours, you can simply call or email the Client Service Team here at Boomer Benefits. We'll look up your policy and help you determine what coverage level you can expect.

If you do not have an agent because you bought your policy directly from an insurance company, then you would need to call either 1-800-MEDICARE and speak with a Medicare representative, or call the member services line at your insurance company to see if they can give you some direction.

In general, though, yes, Medicare supplements cover surgery. Need help finding a plan with good cancer coverage? Contact us today for assistance. Filed Under: General Medicare Info About Danielle Kunkle

I'm a Medicare Supplement Accredited Advisor and chief blogger here at Boomer Benefits. My agency has helped thousands of Medicare beneficiaries understand their benefits since 2004. I write articles here to help our readers navigate the Medicare enrollment process and live to tell about it. Connect with me on Google+ or Facebook for continuing tips about Medicare.

Does my Medicare Supplement Cover Surgery? |Boomer Benefits