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Medicare Health Plans in Texas

Medicare provides health services to more than 41 million senior citizens, according to Elder Options of Texas. Although many Medicare beneficiaries choose to receive their healthcare through a traditional Medicare fee-for-service plan, others opt for private Medicare health plans. Seniors can search the Medicare web site by their zip code to see what plans are available for their area, since service options vary by location, even within a state. Although many companies offer Medicare health plans in certain coverage areas in Texas, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas offers multiple coverage options in all areas across the state.

  1. Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Supplement Insurance

    • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas offers six kinds of Medicare supplement insurance, including a very basic plan (Plan A), two affordable cost-sharing plans (Plan K and L) and three moderately priced plans with greater coverage (Plan D, F and G). Standard benefits for all of these options include paying for the coinsurance that Medicare requires for any hospital stays, as well as coverage for an additional year after Medicare hospitalization benefits end; basic benefits also include coverage of Medicare copayments for any outpatient services required from a hospital stay. Plans K and L provide partial coverage for skilled nursing facilities and hospice, and charge lower premiums, but require patients to pay a greater portion of the costs. Plans D, F and G charge a higher premium but cover all of the hospital deductible that Medicare requires, as well as 100 percent of skilled nursing facility and hospice costs.

    Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare Select

    • Options within Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas' Medicare Select family of plans provide the same coverage and benefits as the standard supplement insurance products, but with reduced premium costs in exchange for using physicians and hospitals within the company's Medicare Select Hospital Network. Patients who use a doctor or a hospital for non-emergency treatment outside the Medicare Select network will face paying the $1,100 Medicare deductible plus any hospital or doctor fees that Medicare or the plan does not cover. Medicare Select plans are only available to those senior citizens who live within a 30-mile radius of a network hospital.

    Blue Cross Blue Shield Preferred Plan

    • Blue Cross Blue Shield offers two Medicare Preferred plans to seniors who wish to pay more for monthly premiums in exchange for greater plan benefits. In addition to paying for coinsurance fees that Medicare charges and Medicare deductibles for inpatient and outpatient services, preferred plans also cover excess hospital or outpatient doctor fees not covered by Medicare as well as costs for emergency care when traveling abroad, skilled nursing facility costs and at-home recovery charges.

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