possibly temporary care in a skilled nursing facility to bridge the gap between hospital care and resuming normal activities when back at home. Most people, not just seniors, underestimate how much health care in the U.S. now costs. Medical debt that forces seniors to sell their home is common these days and the escalating price tag of our health care system has been forcing more seniors into bankruptcy in recent years. Medicare Advantage Plans And Medigap Insurance Extend MedicareWhen Medicare became law in 1965, it was never intended to cover all health care costs. It was supposed to protect seniors against catastrophic or major expenditures to stop bankruptcies. Covering all doctor and hospital bills requires a way to supplement Medicare coverage.Basically, three forms of insurance are now available to expand Medicare coverage. Seniors can choose a Medicare Advantage plan as an alternative to Original Medicare Part A and B, if one is available where they live. Medicare Advantage plans have really low premiums and offer all of Medicare's Part A and B benefits, but Advantage plans are not universally available.Medicare Advantage plans also typically restrict health care coverage to a specific network of doctors and hospitals. If a specialist whose services are not covered is required, that could hinder treatment. Most Advantage plans also require a referral to see a specialist, which could delay access to a specialist.The second way to expand Medicare coverage is with Medicare Supplemental insurance. Commonly known as Medigap insurance, Medigap plans offer ten different combinations of benefits that pick up where Medicare stops. For example, Medicare pays for 80 percent of a pre-determined amount for doctor care. Either the patient or her Medigap plan pay the remaining 20 percent every time a doctor's care is needed. If a doctor doesn't accept that amount of payment, either the patient or his Medicare Supplement insurance pays the excess above Medicare's payment.The third way to extend Medicare is with a Part D Prescription Drug plan, but Medicare Adva