In Lowell, Massachusetts, around 54% of Medicare recipients are female, and the remaining 46% are male. But 100% of them must ensure that their Massachusetts Supplemental Medicare plans meet their basic healthcare needs.

Medicare plans in Lowell, Massachusetts

It can get costly if you don’t supplement your Medicare in Massachusetts accordingly. And since most beneficiaries in Lowell are around 71 years of age, most of those costs will probably be covered by your savings. But who wants to spend their hard-earned money on massive healthcare bills?

Medicare Advantage plans

In Middlesex County, Medicare recipients have 40 different Massachusetts Part C plans to choose from. That’s a fair amount of options considering that only 33% of residents are currently signed up for Medicare Advantage.

Your average Medicare Advantage plan in Massachusetts is an HMO. This means you’re limited to in-network hospitals, facilities, and doctors. But it also means your plan will be more affordable.

Wellcare is an excellent example, with a $0 monthly premium and a less expensive $6,500 maximum out-of-pocket cost.

Another local HMO Medicare Advantage plan is from Tufts. It has a much higher out-of-pocket cost of $7,550 and a four-star customer rating.

Local PPO plans aren’t the most common, but they are the most attractive for beneficiaries who want more choices regarding their doctors and facilities.UnitedHealthcare and BCBS of Massachusetts are virtually identical if you compare our costs. But BCBS has a higher customer service rating, so that’s a plus.

The average cost of Medicare Advantage plans in Lowell, Massachusetts

PLAN PREMIUM MAP Plan Type Star Rating
BCBS of Massachusetts $0 $6,700 LOCAL PPO 4
Tufts $0 $7,550 HMO 4
Wellcare $0 $6,500 HMO N/A
UnitedHealthcare $0 $6,700 LOCAL PPO 3
Fallon Health $0 $7,550 HMO 4

Medicare Supplement plans

Medigap policies serve the same purpose everywhere — to plug the gaps in your Original Medicare in Massachusetts. But the plans are structured a little differently. Depending on your eligibility enrollment date, you only have two to three different options, which could save you money in the long run. Medigap plans are standardized in most states, meaning the coverage is the same.

The Massachusetts Medicare Supplement Core Plan is the most straightforward and bare-bones supplement plan available in the state. There isn’t much variation in rates from company to company, but it still helps to shop around. Suppose you purchase a policy from a company offering the highest premium in the chart below (instead of shopping around and finding the lowest rate). In that case, you could pay an extra $1,082.52 annually!

The Medicare Supplement 1A Plan offers many more benefits, so more people want to purchase it. This leads to more competitive pricing from companies that wants your business. If you’re looking for a Supplement 1A Plan, it’s even more important to shop around so that you don’t end up paying more than double what the plan is worth, according to the chart below.

Supplement 1 is another plan with a lot of price variation. But not everybody is eligible to purchase Supplement 1. Beneficiaries eligible to enroll in Medicare before January 1, 2020, can still buy it if they wish; otherwise, they must choose between the Core Plan and the Supplement 1A Plan.

The average cost of Medicare Supplement plans in Lowell, Massachusetts

PLAN LOWEST PREMIUM HIGHEST PREMIUM
CORE $113.58 $203.79
SUPPLEMENT 1 $205.70 $329.84
SUPPLEMENT 1A $165.75 $319.54

Medicare Part D prescription drug plan

You want your prescription drug plan to be as affordable as possible — especially if you require life-saving drugs to extend and improve your life. For those who stick with Original Medicare, the Part D prescription drug plan in Massachusetts is fairly simple: you pay a low monthly premium, you pay for your prescriptions out of pocket until you hit your deductible, and after that, you can get your medications for pennies on the dollar depending on your formulary.

Between Aetna and Wellcare, the more affordable plan is clearly from Aetna. Otherwise, they have identical deductibles and customer service ratings. Just read each plan’s formulary to ensure the drugs you need are covered.

Between Humana and UnitedHealthcare, believe it or not, UnitedHealthcare has the fewest upfront annual costs compared to Humana. It may have a more expensive monthly premium, but the lower deductible means the combined cost will be more affordable in the long run.

Cigna is the most expensive prescription drug plan with the highest monthly premium and deductible. They have a three-star customer rating, which is above average. So what’s the appeal of the least affordable plan? Their formulary may have the drugs you need, which other companies don’t offer, so read the fine print.

The average cost of Medicare Part D plans in Lowell, Massachusetts

PLAN PREMIUM DEDUCTIBLE STAR RATING
SilverScript $7.40 $480 3
Wellcare $13.00 $480 3
Humana $22.70 $480 4
UnitedHealthcare $29.30 $310 4
Cigna $32.10 $480 3

Special Needs plans

Your health care can get prohibitively expensive if you suffer from a chronic and disabling ailment. You can qualify for a Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan (SNP) if your ailment is both. These $0 monthly premium plans help to make your care as affordable as possible and help you get care from the experts you need.

In truth, there isn’t much variety between special needs plans in Lowell, Massachusetts. Tufts Health offers the lowest maximum out-of-pocket cost of $3,450. The rest plans have identical MOOPs, $0 monthly premiums, and dual eligibility requirements.

One detail you might want to look at when deciding between plans like Fallon Health or Senior Whole, for example, is which doctors and facilities are in their HMO networks. These networks are carefully curated based on balancing cost with getting access to the caregivers who specialize in your particular disability.

While value is important, you should also sign up for a plan that gives you access to the doctors, facilities, and services you need most.

The average cost of Medicare Special Needs plans in Lowell, Massachusetts

PLAN PREMIUM MOOP Plan Type Eligibility
UnitedHealthcare $0 $7,550 HMO Dual
Fallon Health $0 $7,550 HMO Dual
Commoncare $0 $7,550 HMO Dual
Senior Whole $0 $7,550 HMO Dual
Tufts Health $0 $3,450 HMO Dual

How to sign up for Medicare plans in Lowell, Massachusetts

Most Medicare beneficiaries find out that the cost of their supplement insurance policy is significantly cheaper than what they would have paid for the gaps in their Medicare coverage out of pocket.

Our licensed insurance agents can help you find the best Supplemental Medicare plans in Lowell, Massachusetts, while answering any of your questions.

So give them a call today for this free service. Or fill out our online rate form to receive the best rates in the area.

Written By:
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Lindsay Malzone, Lindsay Malzone is the Medicare editor for Medigap.com. She's been contributing to many well-known publications since 2017. Her passion is educating Medicare beneficiaries on all their supplemental Medicare options so they can make an informed decision on their healthcare coverage.
Reviewed By:
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Rodolfo Marrero, Rodolfo Marrero is one of the co-founders at Medigap.com. He has been helping consumers find the right coverage since the site was founded in 2013. Rodolfo is a licensed insurance agent that works hand-in-hand with the team to ensure the accuracy of the content.