Key Takeaways
Medicare in Virginia is for all legal U.S. citizens or legal residents of five or more years, 65 or older. Some Virginians younger than 65 may be eligible.
Medicare in Virginia is available in two ways: Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and Medicare Advantage .
Original Medicare provides some hospital and medical coverage and can be combined with separate Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) and a Part D prescription drug policy ; Medicare Advantage bundles A & B coverages with Part D and often includes services like hearing, vision and dental.
Whether you prefer its beaches, mountains, or anything in between, enjoying what The Old Dominion offers means staying healthy enough to do so. That’s where Medicare in Virginia comes in.
To get the most out of your Medicare, you’ll need answers to some key questions. How old do you need to be to enroll in Medicare in Virginia? What are the different ways you can get Medicare benefits? Do you know how to enroll, and when? What’s the difference between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage in Virginia?
For these answers and more, check out GoHealth’s guide to Medicare in Virginia.
Find a local Medicare plan that fits your needs
Who Is Eligible for Medicare in Virginia?
You may be eligible to enroll in Medicare in Virginia if you’re a legal U.S. resident and:
- You’re 65 or older.
- You’re under 65 but have received railroad retirement benefits or disability-based Social Security for two years.
- You’re under 65 and living with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
How Does Medicare Work in Virginia?
Now that you know who’s eligible, you’ll need to understand how Medicare plans in Virginia work. There are two ways you can receive your Medicare: Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and Medicare Advantage. Here’s how they compare:
Original Medicare (Parts A and B)
Parts A and B help cover hospital, preventive, and medically necessary services. You can see any doctor that accepts Medicare, but out-of-pocket costs can be high and most prescription drugs aren’t included. Stand-alone Part D and Medicare Supplement policies are designed to help.
Medicare Advantage (Part C)
Medicare Advantage (Part C) replaces Original Medicare (Part A & B), but offers the same Part A and B benefits or coverage as Original Medicare. Along with receiving Part A and B benefits, Medicare Part C often bundles additional services like dental, hearing, vision and prescription drug coverage.
Original Medicare customers with prescription needs must add drug coverage separately through Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D). Virginians looking to control their Original Medicare costs can also add Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap).
How much does Medicare in Virginia cost?
What you’ll pay for Medicare in Virginia comes down to your specific needs and policy details, but you can start by understanding some standard costs. These are known as premiums, copayments, coinsurance and deductibles.
Medicare in VA: Part A
Premium:
- $0 if you or your spouse worked 10 or more years
- $274 a month if you worked between 7.5 and 10 years
- $499 a month if you worked fewer than 7.5 years
Deductible:
- $1,556 for each hospital benefit period
Copayments & coinsurance:
- Hospital stays: $0 copay for Days 1-60 following deductible payment; daily charges for Days 61 and after
- Skilled Nursing Facility: $0 for Days 1-20 (each plan period); daily charges for Days 21 and after
Medicare in VA: Part B
Premium:
- $170.10 monthly and up in 2022 (income-based)
Deductible:
- $233 for each plan period
Copayments & coinsurance:
- Most preventative services: $0
- Medicare-approved services: 20% coinsurance
Medicare in VA: Part D
Premium:
- Income-based; varies by plan
Deductible:
- No more than $480 in 2022
Copayments & coinsurance:
- Plan- and drug-specific
Are you eligible for cost-saving Medicare subsidies?
Is Medicare Required When You Turn 65?
The good news? You’re not required to have Medicare in Virginia. The bad news? Not signing up when you’re first eligible can leave you with substantial enrollment penalties when you do apply.
You can avoid these fees by enrolling when you’re first eligible for Medicare in Virginia. If you don’t, you can expect to pay penalties for:
You may be able to delay your enrollment. If you (or your spouse) work and receive coverage through that employer’s plan when you turn 65, a Special Enrollment Period will open once that coverage ends. You can enroll in Parts A and B after 65 without penalty during this 8-month window.
Eligible for Medicare in VA? When to Enroll.
You may qualify for Medicare when you’re 65, but waiting for your birthday to enroll can be a mistake. Instead, your first chance to sign up for Medicare in Virginia begins three months before you turn 65. This is known as your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP).
It’s important to know about all of Medicare’s enrollment periods. After all, turning 65 means your enrollment in Medicare in Virginia is just beginning, and there are several chances to make sure your plan is keeping up with your needs.
Here are the Medicare Enrollment Periods to know about:
- Initial Enrollment Period (IEP): seven months around the month you turn 65.
- Medicare Open Enrollment Period: Oct. 15 to Dec. 7
- Medicare General Enrollment Period: Jan. 1 to Mar. 31
- Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: Jan. 1 to Mar. 31
What Are the Different Medicare Plans Available?
As we discussed, Medicare in Virginia is available as Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. But building the right healthcare approach for you means understanding all the available Medicare plans in Virginia. Here’s how they work:
Original Medicare (Parts A and B)
Original Medicare is made up of Parts A and B. They work separately to provide a base level of care.
Medicare Advantage (Part C)
Medicare Advantage plans are an alternative to Original Medicare in Virginia. Medicare Advantage often includes benefits on top of what enrollees would receive from Parts A and B, including vision, dental, hearing, and even Medicare Part D.
Enrolled in Original Medicare in Virginia? Consider these, too.
Being enrolled in only Original Medicare Advantage in Virginia means you’ll need to add prescription drug coverage separately while battling high out-of-pocket costs. Instead, you may want to consider Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) and Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap).
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D)
If you have Original Medicare, Part D plans are stand-alone policies that provide prescription drug coverage. Medicare Advantage plans in Virginia often include Part D.
Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)
Medigap insurance is a type of plan that provides additional benefits to Original Medicare. A Medigap plan has a monthly premium and is designed to help with out-of-pocket costs. Virginia has a menu of 10 Medigap plans to choose from
What extra benefits and savings do you qualify for?
What is the Best Medicare Plan for 2022?
The answer to this question is up to you and your needs. You’ll want to factor in your health, budget, and even which part of Virginia you reside in. In other words, what works for you won’t work for everyone else. To find the Medicare plan that fits your needs, GoHealth has put together some tools and resources to help the process.
- Pros and Cons: Dive deeper into Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage
- Enrollment Checklist: Develop your plan to get the most of your Medicare
- Medicare Star Rating System: Find out what other policyholders think of their plans
- Pro Tips: Pointers from insiders to make Medicare easier
- Call GoHealth: We have answers about Medicare plans in Virginia? With our licensed insurance agents, you’ll get the personal attention you need. Call us at 1-855-792-0088 TTY: 771.
What’s the Best Medicare Advantage Plan?
If you decide to enroll in Medicare Advantage in Virginia, you’ll have several plans to choose from. But just like the questions above, the answer depends on your personal needs. Also, Medicare Advantage plans vary by location, so what works well in Roanoke may not fit someone in Bristol. To help you get started, here are the different options of Medicare Advantage in Virginia:
- Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans use primary care physicians to manage care. HMOs often limit you to seeing doctors within your provider network.
- Preferred Partner Organization (PPO) policies give you greater freedom to see out-of-network doctors and providers while still using a primary care physician.
- Private Fee-For-Service (PFFS) plans pay your providers each time you receive a service.
- Special Needs Plan (SNP) plans help enrollees living with specific health conditions. D-SNP assists dual eligible individuals, and C-SNP is for people with chronic diseases.
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What is the Downside to Medicare Advantage Plans?
Still deciding between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage in Virginia? Each option has its advantages and disadvantages. The critical thing to remember is that a downside for you may be a selling point for one of your neighbors. There are, however, some main characteristics you can use to compare the two.
- Original Medicare often has higher out-of-pocket costs but more flexibility to see any doctor that accepts Medicare.
- Medicare Advantage offers a smaller network of doctors you can see and often costs less out-of-pocket. Medicare Advantage often includes coverages Parts A and B don’t, including prescription drugs (Part D).
If you still have questions about Medicare plans in Virginia, the licensed insurance agents at GoHealth will show you your options and answer your questions. Give GoHealth a call today to see what Medicare plans in Virginia will work for you.
Medicare in Virginia by the Numbers
Thousands of older adults enroll in Medicare every day across the United States. The latest CMS data shows that 1,432,482 people are enrolled in Medicare Part A and B in Virginia. The total number of beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage Increased from 354,950 to 414,487 year over year. Medicare Advantage participation in Virginia went from 25.43% to 28.93% year over year. If you’d like to dive deeper into how Medicare in Virginia breaks down across the state, we provide a glance at who is using Medicare and how.
Medicare
Virginia
1,432,482 Beneficiaries with Part A & Part B
414,487 Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries
28.93% Meducare Advantage Participation Rate
55.47% Female
44.53% Male
77.78% Non-Hispanic White
14.39% African American
2.08% Hispanic
5.75% Other/Unknown
11.15% Eligible for Medicaid
0.95 Average HCC Score
$9,317.91 Actual Per Capita Costs
17.25% Hospital Readmission Rate
26.60% of Beneficiaries with an Emergency Department Visit
354,950 Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries, Previous Year
Increased Medicare Advantage, Year over year
25.43% Meducare Advantage Participation Rate, Previous Year
See more +
Table reflects the latest Beneficiary Demographics Data: Medicare Geographic Variation – by National, State & County
Average HCC Score: The Hierarchical Condition Category score gauges a population’s overall health. The score is based on a value of 1.0. Populations with an HCC score of less than 1.0 are considered relatively healthy. The score can be used to estimate health costs.
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Virginia Medicare Resources & Contacts
Beneficiaries spend an average of $9,794.78 each year on Medicare in Virginia. To be certain you are not leaving anything on the table, let us help. A GoHealth licensed insurance agent can assess your coverage or explain which Virginia-based resources, like these, may be able to help:
Nationwide Resources
Medicare Learning Guides
Healthcare is personal. So is choosing insurance. If you are new to Medicare, a beneficiary researching options, or a caregiver, we have tailored Medicare Guides for you.
Medicare guide
Before 65 Guide
Understanding health insurance before age 65, especially when considering early retirement
Medicare guide
Medicare Plans Guide
Costs, coverage and enrollment details for each Medicare plan
Medicare guide
Medicare Beneficiary Guide
For those currently enrolled in Medicare
Medicare guide
Low Income and Medicare Guide
For individuals with a qualifying income status
Medicare guide
A Caregiver’s Guide
For individuals with a qualifying income status
