How Medicare MSA Plans work with other coverage

You have a Medicare MSA Plan & join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan

You can use your account to pay for your Medicare drug plan (Part D)  drug copayments. The money that you use from your account on Part D copayments counts toward your Part D out-of-pocket costs .

This determines when you'll be eligible for catastrophic coverage under your Part D plan. The Part D copayment amounts don't count toward your Medicare MSA Plan's deductible

You have a Medicare MSA Plan and have or want to buy other insurance

In general, you can't have other insurance that would cover the cost of services during your Medicare MSA Plan's yearly deductible.

However, you can buy some limited benefit policies in addition to your Medicare MSA Plan coverage, like dental, vision, or long-term care. Call the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) in your area for more information about these types of private insurance policies.

You have a Medicare MSA Plan & a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy

If you join a Medicare MSA Plan and already have a Medigap policy , you can keep your policy. However, you'll have to keep paying your premiums and may get little or no benefit from having it while you're in a Medicare MSA Plan. It won't cover any part of your deductible.

If you drop your Medigap policy, you may not be able to get it back, except in certain situations. For example, you may be able to get your Medigap policy back if  you drop it to join a Medicare MSA Plan for the first time, and you stay in the MSA Plan for less than a year.

However, you must normally stay in a Medicare MSA Plan for a full 12 months before you can disenroll.

You have a Medicare MSA Plan & a Medigap policy with prescription drug coverage

If you join a Medicare MSA Plan and already have a Medigap policy with drug coverage, you can continue to use this coverage to pay for some of your drugs. You can also join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan to help with your drug costs.

If you join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, you'll need to notify the company that issued your Medigap policy, and they'll drop the drug coverage from your Medigap policy. If you choose to keep your Medigap drug coverage, you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty if you join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan later.

You have a Medicare MSA Plan & want to enroll in a Medigap policy

It's illegal for anyone to sell you a Medigap policy if you have a Medicare MSA Plan.

Contact your personal financial advisor for counseling and advice on how choosing a Medicare MSA Plan could affect your financial situation.