Which type of private insurance covers the cost-sharing amounts under Medicare?

• A. Medicare Advantage
• B. Medicaid
• C. Medicare Supplement
• D. Long-term care insurance

Answer: (C)

Medicare leaves some costs up to you, like deductibles, coinsurance, and copays for services covered by Original Medicare. Medicare Supplement plans, sold by private insurers, are specifically designed to pick up those cost-sharing amounts. They work alongside Original Medicare (Parts A and B) to reduce or eliminate the out-of-pocket costs you would otherwise pay. It’s one of the main ways people limit their exposure to Medicare’s gaps, without replacing the core benefits you get from Original Medicare. These plans don’t typically cover long-term care or prescription drugs (you’d need separate options for those), and Medicare Advantage plans bundle benefits differently, so they aren’t the single private option focused on filling Medicare’s cost-sharing gaps. Therefore, the private insurance that covers cost-sharing amounts under Medicare is Medicare Supplement.