Florida Medicare Supplement Premiums and Selection, some influences.
In the state of Florida you may expect to pay up to 60% more for your standardized Medicare Supplement Plan. The Florida rates are among the highest in the nation.
The temperate climate, easy lifestyle, vibrant and active senior community, and lower housing costs and taxes in Florida are just some of the reasons that so many Americans choose to retire here each year.
Florida leads the nation in percentage of citizens 65 and older with 17.7 % of the total population falling into that category. Currently Florida's Senior population is over 3,339,000. Medicare Beneficiaries in Florida number over 3,300,000.
Since medical expenses increase as we get older, a very large group of aging people will impact the cost of doing business for an insurance company that is marketing Medicare Supplement Plans to that group. The higher claims cost has caused some companies to decide not to offer plans in Florida. This limits the choices for seniors. This also causes the premiums to be more expensive.
Another factor affecting Florida Supplement rates are some of the insurance regulations in the state. These tend to be good for the consumer, but can also cause higher rates.
Issue age pricing. All Medicare Supplement Plans in Florida must be sold as "issue age" vs. "attained age". With issue age pricing your premium depends on your age when you purchase the policy. Attained age plans increase based on your age as you get older, these increases tend to be significant. Issue age policies do not increase based on age, rather are in conjunction with increases in the Medicare deductibles and other cost sharing and have much less impact on the cost of the plan, resulting in predictable costs going forward.
All insurance companies wishing to market Medicare Supplements in Florida are mandated by the state to have plans available to people who qualify for Medicare under the age of 65. These are beneficiaries who typically have been on SS disability for 24 months. This gives them the ability to secure protection against medical costs and increased quality of care. It also creates a higher risk, higher cost group of insured.
These are only a few of the factors contributing to the higher cost for Medigap Plans in Florida. If you are a Florida Senior you owe it to yourself to be pro-active and compare plans and prices so that you can be confident that you are getting the most bang for your health care dollar and that you have the right coverage for you.
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