Are Medicare Supplement plans the same thing as "Medicare Secondary Insurance"?

Question

Larry Dalton · Accepted Answer

Yes. Medicare supplement plans are often referred to as Medigap plans. These plans work in conjunction with your traditional Medicare, but do not take the place of traditional Medicare, as Medicare Advantage plans do.

Answered by Larry Dalton on April 29, 2025

Broker Licensed in OK & TX

Answered by Larry Dalton Medicare Insurance Agent

Paul Potter · Answer

AS the saying goes "A rose by any other name would smell the same".  In short, the answer is yes.  It probably depends on what someone was originally told and they held onto that nomenclature.  

This is as opposed to Medicare Advantage, which sometimes is incorrectly referred to as "Medicare Replacement".   Agreed, it looks like replacement to doctors and hospitals, but you MUST have Medicare Parts A and B in order to get a Medicare Advantage Plan.

Holt Rushing · Answer

Yes, a medicare supplement is secondary to medicare. If you had a Medicare Advantage then it would combine everything into one play and would then be the primary insurance.

Mackenzie Anderson · Answer

Not exactly, but they are related. Medicare Supplement/Medigap plans are a type of Medicare Secondary Insurance, but not the only type. A Medicare Secondary Insurance simply means any coverage that pays after Medicare. It could be a Medicare Supplement/Medigap plan, or it could be an employer plan.

Answered by Mackenzie Anderson on July 3, 2025

Agent Licensed in TX

Answered by Mackenzie Anderson Medicare Insurance Agent

Sherry Rose · Answer

Medicare Supplements coordinate with Medicare coverage and pick up where Medicare leaves off; whereas a Medicare Secondary Insurance would be like an employer plan or other coverage that pays after Medicare. It is different in that Medicare Secondary is second to Medicare and does not coordinate with Medicare.

Answered by Sherry Rose on June 2, 2025

Broker Licensed in Ga, AL, AR & 5 other states

Answered by Sherry Rose Medicare Insurance Agent

Michael Yost · Answer

No. A supplement plan is not health insurance. A supplement plan "supplements" Medicare health insurance. A secondary insurance would be having 2 insurance plans, one would be primary, one would be secondary.

Answered by Michael Yost on May 1, 2025

Broker Licensed in OH, AL, AZ & 27 other states

Answered by Michael Yost Medicare Insurance Agent

Chad Watkins · Answer

This answer is provided in a video format. Watch the agent's video response here: https://medicareagentshub.com/questions/are-medicare-supplement-plans-the-same-thing-as-medicare-secondary-insurance#chad-watkins

Daintee Hurst Dietz · Answer

Medicare supplement do operate secondary to traditional Medicare. Assuming the supplement is out side of a company sponsored plan. Those operate differently.

Dionisio Guillermo · Answer

NO, Medicare Supplement plans are complementary to Medicare, while Medicare Secondary Insurance refer to any insurance that pays after Medicare!

Fred Manas · Answer

No, Medicare Supplement plans are not the same as "Medicare Secondary Insurance", although they are related. Medicare Supplement plans, also known as Medigap, are extra insurance purchased to cover gaps in Original Medicare.
"Medicare Secondary Insurance" refers to a situation where Medicare is the second insurance payer after another primary insurance. While a Medigap plan can function as secondary insurance to Original Medicare, it's not the only type of secondary insurance that can exist.

Vachik Chakhbazian · Answer

No, Medicare Supplement plans and "Medicare Secondary Insurance" are not exactly the same, though they are related. Medicare Supplement plans, also known as Medigap, are specific types of secondary insurance designed to cover the costs that Original Medicare doesn't cover.

Answered by Vachik Chakhbazian on April 26, 2025

Agent Licensed in CA, AL, AR & 22 other states

Answered by Vachik Chakhbazian Medicare Insurance Agent

Toni Chavez · Answer

Yes, Medicare supplements are known as gap coverage or secondary coverage. It basically fills the 20% gap that original Medicare does not cover..

William Scott · Answer

Medicare Supplements are known as Medigap plans. They are also sometimes referred to as Secondary Insurance.

Tony Hardwick · Answer

No. A Medicare Supplement plan is a private health insurance policy that helps cover out of pocket costs not covered by Original Medicare. A Medicare Secondary Payer refers to situations where Medicare pays after another insurance plan has already paid.

Answered by Tony Hardwick on April 28, 2025

Agent Licensed in GA, AZ, CA & 15 other states

Answered by Tony Hardwick Medicare Insurance Agent

Humara Riaz · Answer

Officially standardized by Medicare and sold by private insurance companies.

Designed to help cover "gaps" in Original Medicare (Parts A & B), such as:

Copayments

Coinsurance

Deductibles

Only available to people enrolled in Original Medicare.

There are 10 standardized plans (Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N).

Medigap does not include drug coverage (you’d need a separate Part D plan).

Babs Atwell · Answer

In the Medicare billing realm, these terms are interchangeable. However, typically having secondary coverage to Medicare, you will coverage for items and services not normally covered by Medicare. Whereas a true Medicare Supplement will only cover the percentage left over after Medicare has paid their portion, only covering the items and services already covered by traditional Medicare.

Answered by Babs Atwell on May 1, 2025

Broker Licensed in OH

Answered by Babs Atwell Medicare Insurance Agent

George Francis · Answer

Medicare Supplement plans and Medicare Secondary Insurance does have a number of overlapping benefits (copays, coinsurance and some deductibles). 
A Medicare Secondary Insurance plan also covers additional benefits (vision and dental) not covered by Medigap.

Albert Smith · Answer

It can be considered secondary to Medicare, as it covers what original Medicare does NOT cover. Medicare covers 80 percent of your Part B costs, and Part A has copays.

Dominic Javier · Answer

Yes, they are terminologies referring to same nature.  In the Medicare industry, it is know as Medicare Supplement Plan or Medigap sold by private insurance companies to augment your Medicare plan.

Brianna Douros · Answer

Yes, a Supplemental Plan can be referred to as Secondary Insurance. It can also be referred to as a Medigap plan. When you have both Medicare and a Secondary Insurance, it will act as a secondary payer, covering expenses that Medicare does not. This coordination helps reduce out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries.

Answered by Brianna Douros on April 30, 2025

Broker Licensed in VA, CO & TX

Answered by Brianna Douros Medicare Insurance Agent

Michael Pane · Answer

No. Medicare Supplements are known as Medigap plans as they fill the 20% responsibility you may have to come out of pocket for with Original Medicare.

Look at additional coverages such as Hospital, Critical Illness, or Cancer coverage to help fill in the holes or loss of income.https://medicareagentshub.com/#

Brandon Brown · Answer

Yes, “Medicare Supplement” and “Medicare Secondary Insurance” usually mean the same thing.

Both refer to insurance that pays after Medicare — helping cover costs like deductibles, copays, and coinsurance that Medicare doesn’t fully pay. The official name is Medicare Supplement Insurance (or Medigap), but a lot of people casually call it “secondary insurance” because it acts after Medicare pays first.

Quick tip: Not all “secondary insurance” is a Medigap plan — some people might have secondary coverage through a retiree plan, Medicaid, or an employer too. But if you’re buying it yourself specifically to fill Medicare’s gaps, it’s a Medicare Supplement.

Stella Hattox · Answer

YES, they pick up deductibles and co insurance.  However, if Medicare does not cover it, the Supplement ( also known as Medigap) will not cover it either.