What happens when a Medicare Advantage plan member enrolls in a Medicare supplement insurance plan?

When a Medicare Advantage plan member enrolls in a Medicare supplement insurance plan, they may remain in both plans simultaneously. Medicare supplement insurance, also known as Medigap, is designed to fill gaps in Medicare coverage by helping to pay for some of the costs that Original Medicare doesn't cover.

It's important to note that a Medicare Advantage plan is an alternative to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). When a beneficiary chooses to enroll in a Medicare supplement plan, they are typically doing so without terminating their Medicare Advantage coverage. However, it's crucial to understand that a Medicare supplement plan is not available to individuals enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. The first enrollment in a Medigap policy generally requires the individual to be enrolled in Original Medicare, which may lead to complications or potential automatic disenrollment from the Medicare Advantage plan depending on the specific circumstances and regulations.

Thus, while the idea of remaining in both simultaneously is presented as a possibility, one must be aware of how these programs interact, leading to the necessity of proper enrollment and potential disenrollment issues.