health insurance designed to supplement (compliment) an original Medicare plan. What this means is that the supplemental plan is meant to help Medicare policyholders to pay health care costs that aren't covered. The one thing that you need to know is that supplemental policies don't provide Medicare benefits and that is why they can't stand on their own. Put another way, any costs not covered by the original Medicare are paid by Medicare supplement policies.Here is another tip if you are shopping for supplement plans: the benefits are the "same" no matter who sells it to you. The "only" difference you will find is the price and that largely depends on the category. This means that if you take the time to call around to various insurance companies, small and large, you will likely be able to find a good deal.Confused about how to pick a supplement insurance plan? You're in good company. It's actually not too hard to figure it out. Medicare supplement plans are usually chosen based on the kind of coverage you already have. If that just made you shake yoy may be managed by different companies, every policy must fall under the guidelines of Medicare.There are currently 12 existing standardized Medicare supplement insurance plans which are also referred to as Medigap. The plans are labelled 'A' through to 'L' and offer different benefits at varying prices depending on the co-payment required by the user. Although the level and type of cover provided in each plan differs, every Medigap plan must provide basic Medicare benefits as a minimum. There is also another option available known as Medicare Select which is a Medicare supplement insurance policy that is less expensive than other plans. The only drawback to Medicare Select is that you are limited to certain doctors and hospitals for your health care needs.The benefits within each of the 12 Medigap plans do not vary from company to company; if you purchase a plan 'A', it will be identical no matter which company you use. However, premiums can vary considerably from company to company and paying a higher premium will not ensure that you receive anything over and above what is included in the standardized plan.The best time to buy a Medicare supplement insurance policy is during the first 6 months after enrolling in Medicare Part B. This is the only situation where Insurers are obliged to accept you regardless of any pre-existing health conditions.Premiums for Medigap policies are set by the following methods:Attained age: This produces the lowest premiums, particularly for those just turned 65. However, premiu