Anthem Blue Cross Medigap Plan F and Innovative F Compared
You are considering Plan F but everyone is talking about the new Anthem “Innovative Plan F”, which offers vision and hearing for less than standard F. Is it too good to be true? Maybe not! See the comparison between Anthem Blue Cross Medigap Plan F and Innovative F in the chart below and check out the conclusions below.
| Medigap Plan F | Medigap Plan Innovative F | |
|---|---|---|
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Price will display on this page. Estimated price is based on non-smoking applicants and include a discount for autopay. |
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| Enrollment | Enroll in Plan F | Enroll in Plan Innovative F |
| Doctor Network | All Doctors that accept Medicare | All Doctors that accept Medicare |
| Part A Hospital Benefit Period Deductible | You pay $0 | You pay $0 |
| Hospital days Coinsurance | You pay $0 | You pay $0 |
| Skilled Nursing Facility Coinsurance | You pay $0 | You pay $0 |
| First 3 Pints of Blood | You pay $0 | You pay $0 |
| Part B Annual Deductible | You pay $0 | You pay $0 |
| Part B Copays/Coinsurance | You pay $0 | You pay $0 |
| Part B Excess Charges | You pay $0 | You pay $0 |
| Foreign Travel Emergency | You pay 20% | You pay 20% |
| Vision | ||
| Routine Eye Exam (every 12 months) | Not included | You pay $25 |
| Glass Frames (every 24 months) | Not included | $100 Allowance |
| Glass Lenses (every 12 months) | Not included | You pay $25 |
| Contacts (every 12 months) | Not included | $100 Allowance |
| Hearing | ||
| Hearing Exam (every 12 months) | Not included | You pay $0 |
| Hearing Aids (every 12 months) | Not included | $750 Allowance |
| Other Benefits | ||
| Gym | Yes | Yes |
| New to Medicare Discount | $20 | $20 |
| Household Discount | 5% | 5% |
| Autopay Discount | $2 | $2 |
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Price will display on this page. Estimated price is based on non-smoking applicants and include a discount for autopay. |
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| Enrollment | Enroll in Plan F | Enroll in Plan Innovative F |
Takaways from the chart above:
- Both plans offer the same core benefits and same Medicare network
- Medigap Innovative F has hearing and vision included, while standard F does not
- Medigap Innovative F costs the same or less than standard F
Anthem Standard Medigap F and Innovative F: Background
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, standard Plan F was historically the most popular Medigap plan. Why? At the time it offered the most coverage at a fair price. Anthem Blue Cross then decided to go the extra mile and offer a variant of Plan F called Innovative F
As you can tell from the chart above, Innovative F has the exact same benefits as Plan F, but also includes additional benefits, such as hearing and vision. Even better, since Innovative F is a relatively new Medicare Supplement plan, it has a pool of younger members. This allows the plan to usually be better priced than standard Plan F.
So it begs the question, if Innovative F offers more coverage at a better price, why wouldn’t everyone sign up for it over standard F? The answer is that everyone (who is elegible) does! We have not sold a standard F since Anthem offered Innovative F. There is no downside to Innovative F but you must have been Medicare eligible before January 1, 2020. If you turned 65 AFTER 2020, you most likely will not qualify for Innovative F and should consider Medigap Plan G options.
Anthem is the largest for-profit managed health care company within the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association of 36 different companies.Click here to enroll in an Anthem Medigap plan.
If you are already enrolled in Plan F but looking to switch to Innovative F, you can always use the California Birthday Rule to do so without underwriting.
If you have more questions or are looking to enroll, call us or schedule a time with one of our agents. You can also enroll online in less than 5 minutes.
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