You may be one of the “snowbirds” that leave the cold, snowy city in winter to escape to a sunny, warm second home for months at a time. You may own a small home in another state where you can visit grown children and their families for a month or two at a time. In any of these cases, it is absolutely crucial that you are covered for any medical needs that arise while you are away from your primary, or legal, residence.
If you are already receiving Medicare benefits, you will want to check with your current provider to make sure that your coverage extends to any medical needs you may have while you are residing in your second home. In most cases you will find that your Original Medicare and/or Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans will provide your Medicare benefits regardless of where you are within the United States. As long as you visit a physician who accepts assignment, your Medicare benefits should remain the same.
If you currently have a Medicare Advantage Plan, and are enrolled in an HMO, you might want to consider the costs of having to go to an “out of network” provider while you are living in your secondary residence. If you have an HMO plan and you visit a doctor outside the plan’s network, you may be responsible for all the expenses incurred. It might be less costly overall for you to switch to a PPO plan that would allow you to go “out of network” for a slightly higher cost.
If you are eligible for Medicare for the first time and are considering your options, it is important to note that Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans vary from state to state. Although Medigap plans are regulated by the Federal government, similar policies within the same state may have very different costs. If you maintain homes in different states, you might want to compare the policies offered within each state. Some policies are only available for you to purchase if you are a legal resident of that state, and they may require that you live in that primary residence for a certain amount of days per year, are registered to vote and maintain a drivers’ license in that state.