Western United Life Medicare Plans Review

Western United Life is a subsidiary of Manhattan Life, one of the largest, oldest and most widely recognized insurance companies in the U.S. 

Western United Life has been in business since 1963 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. While known largely as a life insurance company, Western United Life also sells Medicare Supplement Insurance plans, which are also called Medigap plans. 

Medicare Supplement Insurance can help pay for many of the out-of-pocket costs that are required by Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). There are a total of nine types of Medicare costs that may be covered by a Medigap plan, such as Medicare deductibles, copayments, coinsurance and other costs. With a Western United Life Medigap plan, you can reduce your Medicare out-of-pocket costs and benefit from more predictable health care spending.

In this Medicare plans review, we explore Western United Life Medicare Supplement Insurance plans, what they cover, how you can enroll and what you should know about Western United Life. 

There are a total of 10 standardized Medicare Supplement Insurance plans available in most states, and Western United Life sells 5 of these plans. These include Medicare Supplement Plans A, C, F, G and N. 

Western United Life Medigap Plan A

Medigap Plan A covers the following out-of-pocket Medicare costs:

• Medicare Part A coinsurance
• Medicare Part B coinsurance and copayments
• Medicare Part A hospice care coinsurance and copayments
• The first 3 pints of blood needed for a transfusion 

Plan A may be a good fit for beneficiaries looking for coverage for hospital stays and other more expensive health care needs, but who don't plan to use many other Medicare services throughout the year.

Western United Life Medigap Plan C

Medicare Supplement Plan C provides coverage for everything included in Plan A as well as the following costs:

• Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance
• Medicare Part A deductible
• Medicare Part B deductible
• Foreign travel emergency care

Medigap Plan C is only available to beneficiaries who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Anyone who became eligible for Medicare on or after that date is not eligible to enroll in Plan C with Western United Life or any other insurance carrier.

If you had Plan C before 2020, you may keep your plan. And if you were eligible for Medicare before 2020, you may be able to enroll in Plan C if it's available where you live.

Western United Life Medigap Plan F

Plan F is the most complete Medigap plan and the only one to offer coverage for each of the nine Medicare costs that Medigap plans can cover. Plan F offers all of the same coverage found in Plan C, and it also covers Medicare Part B excess charges. 

The same eligibility restrictions applied to Plan C apply to Plan F. Only those who became eligible for Medicare before Jan. 1, 2020 are allowed to enroll in Plan F. If you had Plan F before 2020, you can keep it, and if you were eligible for Medicare before 2020, you may be able to apply for Plan F if it's available near you. 

Western United Life Medigap Plan G

Plan G is another comprehensive Medigap plan offering all of the same coverage as Plan F with the exception of the Part B deductible. 

Plan G is not bound by the same eligibility restrictions as Plan C and Plan F and is open to any qualified Medicare beneficiary regardless of when they became eligible for Medicare. Because Plan C and Plan F are closed to new enrollees, Plan G is poised to take over as the most popular Medigap plan in the years to come.

Western United Life Medigap Plan N

Plan N provides the same coverage as Plan G with the exception of Part B excess charges. Plan N uses a unique copayment structure for doctor and emergency room visits which can help keep the premium lower than other plans with similar coverage. 

Western United Life sells Medigap plans in the following 26 states:

• Alabama
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Jersey
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

The cost of a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan can vary by carrier, location, coverage, gender, pricing structure and more. 

Contact an insurance agent who is licensed to sell Medigap in your area. The benefits of Medicare Supplement Insurance are standardized by the federal government, meaning the coverage offered by a Western United Life Plan G will be the same as a Plan G sold by any other carrier.

Some of the things that can influence the cost of any Medigap plan, such as Western United Medigap plans, include:

• Gender – Women may often pay lower Medigap premiums than men due to their longer life expectancy.
  
  
• Discounts – Some Medicare Supplement companies offer discounts for things like being a non-smoker or referring your spouse to also enroll in a plan from the same provider. Not every company offers plan discounts, however, so be sure to ask about any potential discounts before you apply.
  
  
• Health ­– If you wait to sign up for Medicare Supplement Insurance until after your Medigap Open Enrollment Period has passed or during another time when you don’t have a guaranteed issue right, you may be subject to medical underwriting, and your health status could potentially trigger a higher rate.

The claims address for Western United Life Medicare Supplement Insurance is:

Western United Life Assurance Company
Medicare Supplement Division
PO Box 925568
Houston, TX 77292-5568

If you already have a Western United Life Medicare Supplement plan, you can reach the company directly with any questions about your policy by calling 800-877-7703.

Medicare Supplement Insurance plans are accepted by any health care provider who accepts Original Medicare. This is true for Western United Life or any other company selling Medicare Supplement Insurance. 

Medigap plans may be used all over the U.S. and are not restricted by local or regional networks. 

To be eligible for a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan, you must be enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B and live in the service area in which the plan is sold. In most states, you will also need to be at least 65 years old in order to enroll in Medicare Supplement Insurance. However, there are certain states where Medigap enrollment under 65 is available. 

Medigap plan selection can vary by geographic area, and you may only enroll in a plan that is made available in your location. 

Technically speaking, you may enroll in a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan at any time. Medigap plans are not restricted to certain enrollment periods like other types of private Medicare insurance. 

However, the best time to enroll in a Medigap plan from Western United Life or any other carrier is during your 6-month Medigap open enrollment period. This period begins the month you are both 65 years old and enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B. 

The reason why this is the preferred time to enroll is that insurance companies are not allowed to use medical underwriting during this period because you have what are called “guaranteed issue rights” during your Medigap open enrollment period.

When you have a guaranteed issue right, insurance companies cannot charge you higher rates because of poor health. If you apply for a Medigap plan when you don’t have guaranteed issue rights, companies reserve the right to conduct medical underwriting as part of the application process. This means they can charge you a higher premium or deny you coverage altogether based on the status of your health. 

There may be other times outside of your Medigap open enrollment period when you qualify for guaranteed issue rights.

Contact a licensed insurance agent to learn about the Medicare Supplement Insurance plans available in your area. There may be plans available from multiple insurance carriers with varying plan selections and costs, so it’s wise to explore all of your options before committing to any one particular company.