Your Medicare options

Medicare Supplement (Medigap)

A Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy works alongside Original Medicare and pays your share of the bills — the deductibles, copays, and 20% coinsurance Medicare leaves you. Plans are standardized and lettered A through N, so the same letter covers the same things from any insurer; what changes is the price and the company.

Reviewed by Scott Stafford, Licensed Insurance Agent

Last updated

How Medigap works

A Medicare Supplement policy — usually called Medigap — is private insurance that sits alongside Original Medicare and pays your share of the bills. Original Medicare covers most of the cost of your care, but it leaves you responsible for deductibles, copays, and a 20% coinsurance with no annual limit. A Medigap plan steps in to cover those gaps, which is where the name comes from.

Because it pays after Original Medicare, Medigap has no network of its own. You can use any doctor, specialist, or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare — no referrals, no prior authorization from the Medigap insurer. That nationwide freedom is the main reason people choose it.

The standardized plans

Medigap plans are standardized by the federal government and identified by letters (Plan A through Plan N). The key thing to understand: a given letter covers exactly the same benefits no matter which company sells it. A Plan G from one insurer pays the same as a Plan G from another — what differs is the monthly premium and the company behind it.

  • Plan G is the most comprehensive plan available to people who became eligible for Medicare after January 1, 2020, and is the most popular choice for new enrollees.
  • Plan N trades a slightly lower premium for small copays at the doctor and emergency room.
  • Plan F is the most complete plan of all, but it’s closed to anyone newly eligible after January 1, 2020.
  • High-deductible versions of Plans F and G carry a $2,950 deductible for 2026 in exchange for a much lower premium, and cost-sharing Plans K and L cap your out-of-pocket at $8,000 and $4,000 respectively.

Drug coverage and enrollment timing

Modern Medigap plans do not include prescription drug coverage, so you’ll pair your policy with a separate Part D plan to cover medications and avoid the late-enrollment penalty.

Timing matters more with Medigap than with any other Medicare choice. During your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period — which starts the month you’re 65 or older and enrolled in Part B — an insurer must sell you any plan it offers at its best rate, regardless of your health. Apply outside that window and, in most states, the company can use medical underwriting to charge you more or turn you down. A few states add their own ongoing protections.

Is a Supplement right for you?

Medigap tends to fit people who want the broadest choice of providers, travel or live in more than one state, and prefer predictable costs — a higher monthly premium in exchange for very little to pay when they actually need care. The tradeoffs are that premium, the separate Part D plan you’ll add, and the fact that the easiest time to buy is during that one open-enrollment window.

The clearest way to decide is to weigh a Supplement against a Medicare Advantage plan, since the two are built on opposite philosophies — pay more up front for freedom, or pay less up front and use a network.

Common questions

Medicare Supplement questions

Does a Medicare Supplement plan include prescription drug coverage?
No. Medigap plans sold today don’t include drug coverage. You’ll need a separate Part D prescription drug plan alongside your Supplement, both to cover medications and to avoid a permanent Part D late-enrollment penalty.
Can I switch Medigap plans whenever I want?
You can apply for a different Medigap plan at any time, but outside your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period insurers in most states can use medical underwriting — reviewing your health to decide whether to cover you and at what price. Some states have rules that give you more ongoing freedom to switch.
Which Medigap plan is best?
There’s no single best plan, but Plan G is the most comprehensive option for people newly eligible after 2020, and Plan N offers a lower premium in exchange for small copays. The right choice depends on your budget and how often you expect to use care, since every insurer’s version of a given letter covers the same things.

Ready to compare?

Compare Supplement plans where you live.

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