Aetna Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F

Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B) requires out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles, coinsurance, copayments and other expenses that can add up quickly. Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap, are insurance plans sold by private insurance companies like Aetna. These plans help reduce your Medicare spending by paying for some of these out-of-pocket costs.

Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F helps pay for more Medicare costs than any other Medigap plan, which may be one reason Plan F is the most popular plan available.1 Plan F is no longer available to new Medicare beneficiaries, however.

If you became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, you cannot enroll in Plan F. If you were eligible for Medicare before 2020, or if you had Plan F before this date, you may keep your plan or apply for Plan F if it’s available where you live. Plan G and Plan N are two popular plans many new Medicare beneficiaries may consider.¹

In this Aetna Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F review, we outline what costs Plan F pays for, Medigap eligibility requirements and more. Find out if Aetna Medigap Plan F may be right for your needs and learn how to enroll if you’re eligible.

What does Aetna Plan F cover?

Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F may help reduce your out-of-pocket spending for the Original Medicare costs detailed below.

Medicare Part A deductible

Medicare Part A requires beneficiaries to satisfy a deductible of $1,632 in 2024 before Part A coverage kicks in.

A benefit period begins the day you are admitted to a hospital or skilled nursing facility as an inpatient and ends when you have not received any inpatient care for 60 consecutive days. You could potentially face multiple benefit periods within the same calendar year, each one requiring you to meet your Part A deductible.

Aetna Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F pays for the Part A deductible, even if you experience multiple Part A benefit periods in a single year.

Medicare Part A coinsurance

Beneficiaries are responsible for coinsurance payments of $408 per day for inpatient hospital stays longer than 60 days and $816 per day for inpatient stays longer than 90 days each benefit period in 2024, after you meet your Medicare Part A deductible.

Aetna Plan F covers the entire cost of Medicare Part A coinsurance.

Medicare Part B deductible

Medicare Part B beneficiaries are required to pay an annual deductible before their Part B benefits kick in. The Part B deductible is $240 for the year in 2024.

Plan F and Plan C are the only two Medicare Supplement Insurance plans that cover the Part B deductible. As mentioned above, Plan F is not available to new Medicare beneficiaries who became eligible for Medicare on or after Jan. 1, 2020.

If you were eligible for Medicare before 2020, you may be able to apply for Plan F if it’s available where you live. If you had Plan F before 2020, you can keep it.

Medicare Part B coinsurance and copayments

Medicare Part B requires beneficiaries to make coinsurance payments that are typically equal to 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for covered medical equipment and services.

Aetna Plan F covers the cost of your Part B coinsurance charges, after you meet your annual Medicare Part B deductible ($240 for the year in 2024).

Medicare Part B excess charges

Some health care providers are allowed to charge up to 15% more than the Medicare-approved amount for covered services. This additional cost is known as an “excess charge.”

Aetna Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F covers Medicare Part B excess charges in full.

Medicare Part A hospice care coinsurance and copayments

Medicare Part A requires small copayments and coinsurance payments for respite care and for drugs used to manage symptoms and pain.
Aetna Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F covers your Part A hospice coinsurance and copayments.

Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance

Medicare Part A requires beneficiaries to pay copayments of $204 per day in each benefit period that they’re admitted for inpatient skilled nursing care that lasts longer than 20 days. Beneficiaries are required to pay all costs for inpatient skilled nursing facility stays that last longer than 100 days.

Plan F covers 100% of these skilled nursing facility inpatient coinsurance costs.

First three pints of blood

Medicare coverage of blood used in a blood transfusion doesn’t begin until the fourth pint of blood. Plan F covers the cost of the first three pints of blood used.

Foreign travel emergency care

Original Medicare covers emergency care received outside the U.S. under rare and limited circumstances.

Aetna Plan F covers 80% of foreign emergency medical care costs, which is the maximum allowed by any type of Medicare Supplement Insurance plan.

How Much Does Plan F Cost with Aetna?

The cost of Medicare Supplement Insurance plans is affected by a few factors including where you live. Connect with a licensed insurance agent to find out how much Aetna Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F may cost in your area.

Another factor that may affect the cost of a Medicare Supplement plan is when you enroll.

When you first are at least 65 years old and enroll in Medicare Part B, you start your Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which lasts for six months.

During your Medigap Open Enrollment Period, you have what are called guaranteed issue rights. Insurance companies cannot charge you higher premiums or deny you coverage due to your health history or preexisting conditions if you apply for a Medigap plan when you have guaranteed issue rights.

If you wait to enroll in a plan outside of your Medigap Open Enrollment Period, you may be subject to medical underwriting, and insurance companies could charge you a higher premium or deny you coverage altogether based on your health.

Does Aetna Plan F Have a Deductible?

Aetna offers two different version of Plan F. One is the standard version of Plan F, for which there is no deductible. The other is a high-deductible version that requires beneficiaries to meet a $2,800 annual deductible in 2024 before the plan coverage kicks in.

The high-deductible version of Plan F typically comes with lower monthly premiums than the standard version, though you may connect with a licensed insurance agent to find out more about the plan availability and costs where you live.

What are the Benefits of Medicare Supplement Insurance?

A Medicare Supplement Insurance plan like Aetna Plan F may give you the ability to lower your out- of-pocket Medicare spending on deductibles, copayments, coinsurance and other costs that you may otherwise face. Plan F may make for more predictable spending and easier budgeting.

Plan F also travels with you on the road. The plan may be used with any health care provider who accepts Medicare, so you are free to use it in another state while on vacation and there are no network restrictions. You may even keep your same plan after moving to a new area.