Best Medicare Advantage Plans in Louisiana for 2020

The best Medicare Advantage plans in Louisiana for 2020 have many benefits, but you’ll need to choose the best plan for you. If you’re going to be enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B anytime soon, now is the best time to start looking for the best Medicare Advantage plans in Louisiana. First, take a look at this simple guide so that you’ll have a better understanding of how these Medicare plans work and why they’re often better than having Medicare coverage alone.

Overview of the Best Medicare Advantage Plans in Louisiana for 2020

It’s easy to end up with a lot of extra costs when you visit the doctor or go to the hospital when you rely on Original Medicare alone. Coinsurance, copayments (copays) and deductibles can add up, but signing up for a replacement policy (Medicare Advantage plans in Louisiana) can help. We’re here to guide you through this process.

Medicare Advantage Plans in Louisiana for 2020: When Can You Enroll?

There are specific Medicare Advantage enrollment periods; you must sign up for one of the Medicare Part C health plans in Louisiana during one of these times.

Medicare Initial Coverage Election Period ICEP: When you become a beneficiary of Medicare Part A and Part B, you will be given the opportunity to sign up for Medicare Advantage.
Medicare Annual Election Period AEP: From October 15 to December 7 annually, you can sign up for, disenroll or change your Medicare Advantage policy.
Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period MADP: At one time, this was once the period when you could disenroll from a Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B), but this has now been discontinued.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period MA OEP: Another period during which you can change your MA plan runs from January 1 to March 31st of each year. This is new as of 2019.
Medicare Special Election Periods SEP: If you need to shop for a policy outside of the standard Medicare Enrollment Period, an SEP can provide you the opportunity to do so. If you have lost your dual-eligible Medicaid coverage and need to replace it with a plan through a private insurance company, an SEP will be triggered so you’ll have the opportunity to buy a policy. If you lose employer-sponsored coverage, if your insurance company doesn’t sign its contract renewal with Medicare or if you move out of your insurance company’s service area, an SEP will be triggered as well.

Best Types of Medicare Advantage Plans in Louisiana for 2020

When you’re enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B and want to start shopping for a Medicare Advantage plan (Medicare Part C in Louisiana), you should be aware of the options that are available. These are the Medicare Advantage plan options that you can choose if you’d like to replace Original Medicare:

PPO Preferred Provider Organization Plans (PPO) in Louisiana

Includes a network
You aren’t required to see a doctor or go to a hospital in your provider’s network
Costs are lower when you see in-network providers
Referrals aren’t needed

HMO Health Maintenance Organization Plans (HMO) in Louisiana

$0 premium options are sometimes available
Even when monthly premiums must be paid, they are typically cheaper for these plans than others
Must choose in-network providers, except in emergency situations
Referrals from a primary care doctor (PCP) are required

Private Fee-for-Service PFFS in Louisiana

Private policies; coverage is determined by your insurance company
Network restrictions do not apply

Special Needs Plans SNPs in Louisiana

Designed for people with chronic health conditions or institutional conditions (for example, end-stage renal disease ESRD)
Insurance companies are required to include Medicare Part D prescription drug plans in Special Needs plans

Enrollment Figures for Louisiana Medicare Advantage Plans

These are some basic enrollment figures for beneficiaries of Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B) and Medicare Advantage plans in your state:

The five largest parishes in Louisiana are East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Orleans, Caddo, and St. Tammany.
There were 867,826 Medicare beneficiaries in Louisiana in 2018.
294,948 of Medicare beneficiaries in Louisiana were enrolled in Medicare Advantage in 2018.

How do 2020 Medicare Advantage Plans in Louisiana Cover Prescription Drugs?

Even if you’re eligible for Medicare and become fully enrolled in Original Medicare, you will have to pay out-of-pocket for your prescription drugs if you don’t sign up for some sort of Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. Prescription drug coverage is not included with Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B or any of the Medicare Supplement plans.

However, many Medicare Advantage plans in LA do include Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans. These costs are included in your rates, so when you compare rates, you might notice that plans that include prescription drug coverage are a little more expensive.

Check out the formulary to see which drugs are and are not included. You’ll also want to look at the prescription drug tiers so that you’ll know what you’ll have to pay as a beneficiary of one of these plans.

You can also sign up for a stand-alone plan if you can’t find an Advantage policy that includes a Medicare prescription drug plan that you like or if you sign up for Medicare Supplement insurance instead.

Network Restrictions for Medicare Advantage Plan in Louisiana for 2020

One key thing that you will want to know when choosing a Medicare Advantage plan in Louisiana is that there may be network restrictions. It’s important to understand these restrictions before purchasing a Medicare Advantage plan. This is a quick guide to help you better understand these restrictions:

In-Network vs. Out-of-Network Within Coverage Area: HMO Medicare Advantage plans require use to use in-network healthcare providers unless it’s an emergency. Unlike HMO policies, PPO Medicare Advantage plans cover both in-network and out-of-network care, but your out-of-pocket expenses are higher when you see out-of-network providers.
Traveling With Plan: Both preferred provider organization PPO plans and health maintenance organization HMO plans, you can enjoy peace of mind in knowing that emergency care will be covered when you travel to different states. Even in non-emergency situations, your PPO will provide coverage in other states, but you’ll have to pay more.
Moving Across State Lines: Since nothing has to be done with Medicare Part A and Part B when you move except for changing your address, many people think this is the case with Medicare Part C in Louisiana. However, if you move to another state or otherwise move outside of your policy’s network, you’ll need to sign up for a new policy. Fortunately, an SEP will be triggered so that you can do so.

Added Benefits of Medicare Advantage Plan in Louisiana for 2020

When you compare Medicare Advantage plans to Medicare Supplement plans, you’ll see that various perks are often included that you can’t get with a Medigap policy. Naturally, you’ll need to compare what each insurance company offers to find a policy with the most perks. These are some of the perks that are often included, but you’ll want to read a complete description of benefits of the policy that you’re thinking about signing up for so that you’ll know what is and isn’t included:

Hearing care, routine vision, and dental care
Wellness programs
Silver Sneakers or other similar gym membership
Recommendations for diet and nutrition
Allowance for over-the-counter medication costs
Healthy living seminars and classes
Transportation to and from medical appointments
Payment of some or all of the Medicare Part B premium

Here are a few changes for 2020:

Starting in 2020, insurance companies that provide Medicare Advantage plans in Louisiana will be able to add some supplemental non-health related benefits to certain beneficiaries, such as providing help with making structural changes to the home when needed. This is designed to help those who might need help with widening doorways or installing ramps for their homes.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved a 2.53% payment increase to Medicare insurers that offer Medicare Advantage plans in Louisiana.

Top Providers for Medicare Advantage Plans in Louisiana

Ameri Health
Aetna
Cigna
Peoples Health
Humana
Coventry Health

It’s smart to compare Medicare Advantage plans in Louisiana between all of these providers. A company plan and network can vary significantly by county and zip code, so it’s best not to assume one is better than another without comparing. If you use our tool to search for 2020 rates and options from each of these companies, however, you’ll know which is your best Medicare Advantage plan option.

Louisiana Medicare Resources

If you’re looking for more information about Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B) and the extra help that might be available for you, check out these helpful resource links:

Our licensed insurance agents can also provide help. If you’re looking for a policy with good star ratings through a company like Humana, we can assist you. It’s our goal to help you find a policy with affordable pricing, so give us a call or use our website to shop for quotes today.