For all the negative feelings about government-run health insurance, there’s one program that’s been quite a success (albeit certain budget shortcomings). Today, Medicare is perhaps the most successful health care program in our nation’s history — and it’s also one of the largest. Even though Medicare provides much of the needed health insurance coverage for Americans over 65 years old, it still has some gaps in coverage.

To supplement the coverage offered by traditional Medicare, seniors can also purchase policies to fill in those coverage holes. These policies are called Medicare Supplement or Medigap.

Many of the largest insurance companies in the country offer Medicare Supplement plans that give that extra coverage you need.

But before you dive into which Medigap policy to choose, let’s take a look at how Medicare works:

These are the three “parts” of Medicare:

• Medicare Part A: This provides coverage for hospital, nursing and hospice care.
• Medicare Part B: For a monthly premium, this part of Medicare provides coverage for doctors’ fees and other medical services.
• Medicare Part D: This part of Medicare was designed to provide prescription drug coverage. Part D plans are administered by private insurers.

With traditional Medicare alone, you might need to meet a certain deductible, say $500, and you might have to pay a copayment of $30 to $50 when you visit a doctor. In some cases, your out-of-pocket costs can be a few hundred dollars and even reach into the thousands.

But a Medicare Supplement plan can cover many of the above costs for a low monthly premium. Usually, Medigap policies can range from $50 to $100 a month.

Traditional Medicare and Medicare Supplement are good options, but not the only one. If you’d rather receive your Medicare benefits through a private insurance company instead of the federal government, you can purchase what’s known as a Medicare Advantage plan.

A Medicare Advantage plan really is just another choice you have in getting access to high quality, affordable health care.

When you’re ready to compare plans, there are a few good services online such as InsureLane.com or HealthInsuranceProviders.com. Be sure to work with a licensed independent health insurance agent that can help you compare plans from many different insurance companies. To view instant quotes on Florida health insurance then simply enter your zip code above.