Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans (Medigap)

A Medicare supplement (Medigap) insurance, sold by private companies, can help pay some of the health care costs that Original Medicare doesn’t cover, like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles.

Some Medigap policies also offer coverage for services that Original Medicare doesn’t cover, like medical care when you travel outside the U.S. If you have Original Medicare and you buy a Medigap policy, Medicare will pay its share of the Medicare-approved amount for covered health care costs. Then your Medigap policy pays its share.

A Medigap policy is different from a Medicare Advantage Plan. Those plans are ways to get Medicare benefits, while a Medigap policy only supplements your Original Medicare benefits.

Eight things to know about Medigap policies

1. You must have Medicare Part A and Part B.
2. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, you can apply for a Medigap policy, but make sure you can leave the Medicare Advantage Plan before your Medigap policy begins.
3. You pay the private insurance company a monthly premium for your Medigap policy in addition to the monthly Part B premium that you pay to Medicare.
4. A Medigap policy only covers one person. If you and your spouse both want Medigap coverage, you’ll each have to buy separate policies.
5. You can buy a Medigap policy from any insurance company that’s licensed in your state to sell one.
6. Any standardized Medigap policy is guaranteed renewable even if you have health problems. This means the insurance company can’t cancel your Medigap policy as long as you pay the premium.
7. Some Medigap policies sold in the past cover prescription drugs, but Medigap policies sold after January 1, 2006 aren’t allowed to include prescription drug coverage. If you want prescription drug coverage, you can join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D).
8. It’s illegal for anyone to sell you a Medigap policy if you have a Medicare Medical Savings Account (MSA) Plan.

2025 Medigap Updates

Several important updates for Medicare Supplement Insurance in 2025 that you should know:

• Plan Availability: Plans C and F remain unavailable to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. If you were eligible for Medicare before this date, you may still be able to buy these plans if they’re available in your area.
• High-Deductible Plans: For 2025, the annual deductible for high-deductible versions of Plans F and G is $2,870. This is the amount you must pay for Medicare-covered costs before your policy begins to pay.
• Part B Deductible: For 2025, the Medicare Part B deductible is $257. This is the amount Plan G enrollees must pay out-of-pocket, as Plan G covers everything Plan F covers except the Part B deductible.
• Plan K and L Out-of-Pocket Limits: These plans have annual out-of-pocket limits, after which the plan pays 100% of covered services for the rest of the calendar year.
• Plan N Copayments: Plan N continues to cover 100% of the Part B coinsurance, except for copayments of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that don’t result in inpatient admission.

Comparing Medigap Plans

The benefits in each lettered plan are standardized, which means they are the same regardless of which insurance company sells the policy. However, premiums can vary significantly between companies for the same coverage.

When comparing Medigap plans, consider:

• Plan G has become one of the most popular plans since Plan F is no longer available to newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries.
• Plans K and L offer lower premiums but have higher cost-sharing and out-of-pocket limits.
• Plan N typically has lower premiums than Plan G but includes some copayments for office and emergency room visits.

Best Time to Enroll

The best time to buy a Medigap policy is during your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which automatically starts the first month you have Medicare Part B and you’re 65 or older. During this period, you can buy any Medigap policy sold in your state, even if you have health problems. Insurance companies cannot deny you coverage or charge you more for pre-existing conditions during this time.

If you try to buy a Medigap policy outside this enrollment period, insurance companies can use medical underwriting to decide whether to accept your application and how much to charge you for the policy.

Comparing Costs

When shopping for a Medigap policy, be aware that insurance companies may set their prices (premiums) in different ways:

• Community-rated (no-age-rated): The same premium is charged to everyone, regardless of age.
• Issue-age-rated: The premium is based on your age when you buy the policy and won’t increase due to age.
• Attained-age-rated: The premium starts based on your current age and increases as you get older.

To find and compare Medigap policies in your area, visit Medicare.gov’s Medigap policy search or contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).