I knew that would happen to me, so I bought a Medigap Plan when I first became eligible for Medicare in 2001. I pay $145.25 a month (in 2010) for the plan.

Medigap plans pay for all costs that are not covered by Medicare. It is a lot of money for the premium, but it is nothing compared to what I would be paying for co-pays and balance billing and Medicare non-covered costs. So, it is worth the cost to pay the premium.

Carolyn