Medicare question - I know medicaid is limited to the state youāre in (couldnāt use WV medicaid to get prescriptions in TN) but is medicare state bound?
Generally speaking, no, Medicare isnāt state-bound - if you live in Trempealeau, Wisconsin but the doctor you want to see is over in Winona, Minnesota that borderĀ isnāt going to be much of an issue since youāll be under the same Medicare Administrative Contractor (CMS has a number of different companies they contract with to handle the medical claims and billing for Medicare services, and each company is given a specific geographic area they cover)
If you live in Lansing, Michigan but decide you want to be a snowbird and spend the winters in Coral Gables, Florida, thatās not going to prevent you from using your Medicare coverage, but you would need to designate one of them as your primary state of residence (where you vote, file taxes, have your license/ID, etc.) and find a doctor who accepts Medicare. You might have issues with your Medicare Supplement/Part C plan, or if you have a Medicare Advantage plan, because the states do differ there with benefits/coverages, premiums (this is probably the biggest thing), and enrollments. And with Medicare Advantage, theyāre like any other private insurance so if you donāt use a doctor in your Advantage plan network, you foot the full bill.Ā
(Medicare Supplement is also called Medigap, and CMS requires those plans basically be identical and are national, so stuff should be the same there, for the most part, regardless of location. The difference between Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement/Medigap is that Supplement/Medigap *only* covers/picks up whatever your primary Medicare doesnāt, while with Advantage you basically have an insurer administer/provide your Medicare, and maybe have some extra/additional benefits. One is an addition to your Medicare coverage, one basically replaces it.)Ā
Part D isnāt as much of a concern, because those are usually national or have big networks and lots of provider options as it is, although it depends on if you have Advantage or if you just have Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and maybe a Medicare Supplement/Medigap (Part C)
If you move from Coeur dāAlene, Idaho to Louisville, Kentucky and make that your new residence, with no half-time visiting, all you really need to do is update your address and some other information with the Social Security Administration, but if you have a Medicare Advantage plan youāll likely need to find a new one, or at the very least expect a lot of change since those vary so much based on state. If you have a Medicare Supplement, that should basically be the same - again, unless the new states has different requirements or periods for it (but the coverage really shouldnāt see too many issues or changes).
