For 2026, Original Medicare and the following Medicare Advantage options remain in-network with St. Bernards and our affiliated physicians and other health care providers.
Medicare Advantage plans are required to provide coverage for the same services that Original Medicare covers. Patients with Medicare Advantage coverage, however, often have higher deductible and co-payment obligations to their doctors, hospitals and other health care providers compared with Original Medicare.
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Yes, you may revert to Original Medicare as your health insurance provider during open enrollment. Original Medicare includes Part A (hospital insurance) as well as Part B (medical insurance). An important caveat, however, applies to your potential eligibility to purchase a Medicare Supplement Insurance policy, also known as Medigap coverage.
MEDIGAP ELIGIBILITY
If you selected a Medicare Advantage plan when you first became eligible for Medicare at age 65, you only have a 12-month "trial right" to switch to Original Medicare and buy a Medigap policy.
- You had Medigap before: If you dropped a Medigap policy to join Medicare Advantage for the first time, you have the right to get the same policy back from the same insurer if they still sell it.
- You've never had Medigap: If you initially joined a Medicare Advantage plan at age 65, you have a trial right to switch to Original Medicare and buy any Medigap policy sold in your state during the first 12 months.
If you have been in a Medicare Advantage plan for more than a year
After your initial 12-month trial right period has ended, you typically lose your federal guaranteed-issue rights for Medigap. In this case, you will likely have to go through a process called medical underwriting.
- Emergency Care: Emergency care for serious or possibly life-threatening injuries or medical conditions are covered at in-network rates at all St. Bernards Emergency Departments, even if you have an out-of-network health insurance plan. Out-of-network coverage ONLY applies to non-emergency care.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Once your medical emergency is stabilized, you may experience much higher out-of-pocket costs should you continue receiving medical care at St. Bernards through an out-of-network policy.
