Every Senior Benefit

Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance)

In short: Medigap policies are sold by private insurance companies to people with Original Medicare (Parts A and B). They pay some or all of the costs Medicare leaves to you, such as deductibles and the 20% coinsurance. Plans are standardized by letter, so Plan G from one company covers the same as Plan G from another; only the price differs. Buy during your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, when companies cannot turn you down or charge more for health problems.

Who can buy it

  • You have Medicare Part A and Part B.
  • You do not have a Medicare Advantage plan. Medigap does not work with Medicare Advantage.
  • Each person needs their own policy; couples buy two.
  • People under 65 with Medicare can buy Medigap only in some states.

What it covers

Plans are named by letter: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M and N. Most cover:

  • The Part A hospital coinsurance, plus 365 extra hospital days.
  • The 20% Part B coinsurance (fully, or partly for Plans K and L).
  • The first 3 pints of blood.
  • Hospice coinsurance.

Some also cover the Part A deductible, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, care during foreign travel, and Part B excess charges.

Plans C and F, which pay the Part B deductible, can only be bought by people who first became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.

High-deductible Plan G (and F for those eligible before 2020) has a lower premium but you pay the first $2,950 (In 2027: $3,050) of costs in 2026 before it pays.

Not covered: prescription drugs (you need a separate Part D plan), dental, vision, hearing aids, and long-term care.

Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin use their own plan designs.

When to buy

  • Medigap Open Enrollment Period: 6 months that start the first month you are 65 or older and have Part B. During this time a company must sell you any policy it offers in your state at its best price, whatever your health.
  • After that, in most states, companies can ask health questions, charge more, or refuse you. Some states give extra rights to change or buy policies. Your SHIP can tell you your state’s rules.
  • You also have protected rights in some situations, such as when a Medicare Advantage plan leaves your area, or you try Medicare Advantage for the first time and leave within 12 months.

How to compare

  • Compare policies and prices in your area: medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048).
  • Free, unbiased advice: your SHIP at shiphelp.org or 877-839-2675.
  • Your state insurance department lists companies and prices.

Policies are bought directly from insurance companies or licensed agents. Ask how the price is set: some prices go up with age each year, some do not.

Medigap or Medicare Advantage?

Original Medicare with Medigap Medicare Advantage
Doctors Any doctor in the U.S. who takes Medicare Usually a network
Monthly cost Part B premium plus Medigap premium, plus a drug plan Part B premium, plan premium often low
Costs when you get care Low or none, depending on the plan Copays, up to a yearly limit
Drug coverage Separate Part D plan Usually included
Switching later Medigap may require health questions Can switch each fall

The choice depends on your health, your doctors, and your budget. A SHIP counselor can go through it with you for free.

Check what you may qualify for

Sources

Page last reviewed: 1791763200