The 3 new Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans in California that now cover vision and hearing aids call for a well-rounded comparison from Senior65.com.
Anthem Blue Cross Innovative F was the first plan to cover vision and hearing aids, being caught fast by the slightly different Health Net’s Innovative Plan F. Blue Shield then offered its own version of this plan calling it Blue Shield Plan F Extra.
These plans have the same exact network of doctors and standard benefits of a traditional Plan F but also include the additional extra benefits outlined below. Each plan is slightly different so it’s worth comparing them.
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Chart Comparison of all three plans
| Benefits | Health Net Innovative F |
Anthem Blue Cross Innovative F |
Blue Shield of CA F Extra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Plan F Benefits | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Access to Medicare’s largest network of doctors | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Vision | |||
| Routine Eye Exam (every 12 months) | You pay $10 | You pay $25* | You pay $20 |
| Glass Frames (every 24 months) | $250 Allowance | $100 Allowance* | $100 Allowance |
| Glass Lenses (every 12 months) | $250 Allowance | You pay $25* | You pay $25 |
| Contacts (every 12 months) | $250 Allowance | $100 Allowance* | You pay $0 |
| Hearing | |||
| Hearing Exam (every 12 months) | You pay $0 | You pay $0 | You pay $0 |
| Hearing Aids | $1000 Allowance (every three years)** | $750 Allowance (every 12 months) | $499-$799 discount on Vista Models (every 12 months) |
| Other Benefits | |||
| Gym | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| New to Medicare Discount | $20 | $20 | $25 |
| Household Discount | Yes | 5% | 7% |
| Autopay Discount | Yes | $2 | $3 |
| Enrollment | Quote & Apply | Quote & Apply | Quote & Apply |
*Only Blue View Vision Access network
**Some of our clients have alerted us that you may need to choose from selected companies
To sum it all up:
- Health Net’s Innovative F has the most generous initial hearing and vision benefits of the three plans and offers Silver&Fit, an exercise program similar to Silver Sneakers.
- Anthem Blue Cross’ Innovative F has slightly less coverage in the vision and hearing department, but has Silver Sneakers and a surprising hearing aid coverage every year.
- Blue Shield’s F Extra also has a fine vision coverage and Silver Sneakers, but only limits you to one company to choose from when it comes to Hearing Benefits.
Next Steps:
Now that you know the difference between the three enhanced F plans, it’s time to get a quote and enroll. You can get an Innovative Plan F extra quote here or you can call us and one of our licensed agents can help you over the phone at no cost to you.
You can also follow this link to find out about what other states are offering Innovative and Extra plans.
Besides, as of July 1, 2020, a standardized plan and an Innovative plan are considered equal in benefits. This means if you have a standard F you can switch to Innovative F or F extra during the California Birthday Rule.
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