After Seattle, Bellevue is the second largest city center in Washington State. Although known more as a college town, Many beneficiaries retire to the city for the bustling communities. There are about 135,000 Medicare beneficiaries residing in Bellevue, Washington.
Medicare plans in Bellevue, Washington
When it comes to Medicare, there are a few options you can choose from to receive your Medicare benefits and coverage. We’ll discuss the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement paths. Then, we’ll cover prescription drug coverage and plans specifically for special-needs beneficiaries. Finally, we’ll answer some questions and talk about how to get help with your Bellevue, Washinton Original Medicare coverage.
All illustrations are based on a 70-year-old woman and could vary depending on where you live.
Medicare Advantage plans
Medicare Advantage plans are Part C of Medicare. These plans take over your benefits from traditional Medicare and often include prescription coverage. In addition, these all-in-one plans usually include benefits in addition to those of Original Medicare.
Medicare residents in King county enjoy the availability of 52 Bellevue, Washington, Medicare Advantage options to choose from.
Like other large cities in Washington, Kaiser Permanente has a 5-star rated HMO plan in the area. Their coverage focuses on VIP-style coverage, where most of your doctors and tests are located in one facility. Kaiser has very strong plans in Bellevue.
Humana has a PPO option with one of the lower out-of-pocket costs in the city. They are one of the most well-known Medicare providers in the nation.
The largest provider of Medicare plans in the country is . They have an HMO-POS option allowing some coverage out of the service network. is the only Medicare plan provider endorsed by .
The average cost of Medicare Advantage plans in Bellevue, Washington
| PLAN | PREMIUM | MOOP | Plan Type | Star Rating |
| Premera Blue Cross | $0 | $6,700 | HMO | 3 |
| Kaiser Permanente | $0 | $6,600 | HMO | 5 |
| Aetna | $0 | $5,500 | LOCAL PPO | 4 |
| Humana | $0 | $5,000 | LOCAL PPO | 4 |
| $0 | $6,500 | HMO-POS | 4 |
Medicare Supplement plans
If you don’t like the idea of a private insurance company administering your Medicare benefits, Medicare supplements in Bellevue, Washington, could be the right choice for you.
These plans go hand in hand with Traditional Medicare. This allows you to enjoy the freedoms associated with Original Medicare. These include no referrals needed to see doctors or specialists and the ability to choose any doctor nationwide that takes Medicare.
Medicare supplements come in 10-letter plan options that provide different levels of coverage. The majority of all Medicare beneficiaries choose between the top three plan letters.
There are two options for beneficiaries that are looking for a lower premium option with a higher deductible.
Plan N
Plan N is the most cost-effective plan option. Medicare Plan N gives the perfect balance of affordable premiums with comprehensive coverage.
Plan G is the most popular plan for beneficiaries new to Medicare.
Plan G
Medicare Plan G offers the highest coverage level available for people who started Medicare in 2020 or later. You are responsible for the Medicare Part B deductible when enrolled in this plan.
Plan F
Plan F has been the most comprehensive plan in the market for many years. You must have been eligible for Medicare before 2020 to enroll in Plan F. When you choose this plan option; you’ll pay nothing out of pocket when you use the plan.
Beneficiaries have two options: low premium and high deductible options. These plans are essentially the same. Plans HDG and HDF are assigned the same deductible annually.
These plans are versions of Plan F and Plan G. Depending on when you started your Medicare will determine which plan you can choose from.
The average cost of Medicare Supplement plans in Bellevue, Washington
| LETTER PLAN | LOWEST PREMIUM | HIGHEST PREMIUM |
| PLAN A | $132.00 | $334.52 |
| PLAN B | $199.11 | $372.83 |
| PLAN C | $234.68 | $461.14 |
| PLAN D | $206.46 | $398.06 |
| PLAN F | $235.84 | $465.99 |
| PLAN HDF | $44.00 | $73.17 |
| PLAN G | $99.35 | $279.16 |
| PLAN HDG | $44.00 | $66.22 |
| PLAN K | $61.24 | $121.00 |
| PLAN L | $136.80 | $147.25 |
| PLAN M | N/A | N/A |
| PLAN N | $139.78 | $210.00 |
Medicare Part D prescription drugs plans
Prescription drug coverage is the most confusing and concerning part of Medicare. With the different coverage phases and, at times, unpredictable costs that come up, many beneficiaries struggle to find the right coverage for themselves.
You can get coverage for drugs that you pick up from the pharmacy in one of two ways. You can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage. The other option is choosing a Bellevue, Washington, Part D stand-alone drug plan.
If you choose to stay with traditional Medicare, with or without a supplement, the Part D plan is the option you must choose. Prescription plans must follow the same model outlined by Medicare. These plans have four coverage phases and can be better than the standard model outlines.
As you pick up your scripts throughout the year, you move through the coverage phases based on the costs of the drugs and what you spend.
One of the most popular plans year after year is SilverScript. Owned by CVS Aetna, they have the backing and data to ensure their plans fit the needs of Medicare beneficiaries.
Another excellent drug plan company is Wellcare. They have become a staple to the prescription drug plan market and have the second lowest premium option.
Clear Spring could be a great choice depending on the prescriptions you take. You’ll notice they have the lowest rating. They have been working hard to improve, and their coverage of specific drugs is second to none.
The average cost of Medicare Part D plans in Bellevue, Washington
| PLAN | PREMIUM | DEDUCTIBLE | STAR RATING |
| Aetna | $7.70 | $480 | 3 |
| Wellcare | $11.60 | $480 | 3 |
| Clear Spring | $16.20 | $480 | 2 |
| Elixir | $20.30 | $480 | 3 |
| Humana | $22.70 | $480 | 4 |
Special Needs plans
Medicare Advantage has plan options designed to assist beneficiaries with certain special needs. These Special Needs Plan options range from low-income individuals to people living in institutionalized settings and those with certain chronic health conditions.
Dual SNPs assist low-income Medicare beneficiaries that also are enrolled in Medicaid. These plans usually offer strong benefits and little to no out-of-pocket costs. In addition, these plans generally have higher amounts of over-the-counter benefits, food cards, and even in some cases, utility assistance.
Institutional SNPs are specifically formulated to assist individuals that reside in an institutionalized setting.
Chronic SNPs help Medicare members that have specific ongoing health conditions. These conditions these plans will vary depending on what’s available in your area. The most common health issues chronic plans assist with are COPD, diabetes, and health-related conditions.
Amerigroup has a few different types of special needs plans in the area. Their chronic and institutionalized plans are highlighted below.
Molina has a similar style coverage to that of Kaiser. They have a great dual SNP in Bellevue. They will have a tight network of doctors to navigate.
Humana and Wellcare are some of the strongest names in Medicare. In Bellevue, you have access to SNP plans with both carriers.
The average cost of Medicare Special Needs plans in Bellevue, Washington
| PLAN | PREMIUM | MOOP | Plan Type | Eligibility |
| Humana | $0 | $6,700 | HMO | Dual |
| Amerigroup | $0 | $2,500 | HMO | Institutional |
| Molina Healthcare | $0 | $7,550 | HMO | Dual |
| Wellcare | $0 | $3,450 | HMO | Dual |
| Amerigroup | $0 | $5,900 | HMO | Chronic or Disabling |
How to sign up for Medicare plans in Bellevue, Washington
Fortunately, retirees in Bellevue have plenty of options to select from. Unfortunately, with so many choices, it’s easy to get confused and, therefore, harder to decipher what’s best for your situation. That’s where we come in. We have licensed experts available to help make it easy.
Our agents will assist with every aspect, from education to enrollment. We’re here to help you make the best decision possible. Simply give us a call, or fill out our online request form.
