Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies are standardized
Every Medigap policy must follow federal and state laws designed to protect you, and it must be clearly identified as “Medicare Supplement Insurance”.
Insurance companies can sell you only a “standardized” policy identified in most states by letters.
All policies offer the same basic benefits but some offer additional benefits, so you can choose which one meets your needs.
Each insurance company decides which Medigap policies it wants to sell, although state laws might affect which ones they offer.
Insurance companies that sell Medigap policies:
- Don’t have to offer every Medigap plan
- Must offer Medigap Plan A if they offer any Medigap policy
- Must also offer Plan C or Plan F if they offer any plan
Medigap Plans
Note
The Medigap policy covers coinsurance only after you’ve paid the deductible (unless the Medigap policy also pays the deductible).
Compare Medigap plans side-by-side
The chart below shows basic information about the different benefits Medigap policies cover.
Yes = the plan covers 100% of this benefit
No = the policy doesn’t cover that benefit
% = the plan covers that percentage of this benefit
N/A = not applicable
* Plan F also offers a high-deductible plan. If you choose this option, this means you must pay for Medicare-covered costs up to the deductible amount of $2,300 before your Medigap plan pays anything.
** After you meet your out-of-pocket yearly limit and your yearly Part B deductible, the Medigap plan pays 100% of covered services for the rest of the calendar year.
*** Plan N pays 100% of the Part B coinsurance, except for a copayment of up to $20 for some office visits and up to a $50 copayment for emergency room visits that don’t result in inpatient admission.
Starting January 1, 2020, Medigap plans sold to new people with Medicare won’t be allowed to cover the Part B deductible.
Because of this, Plans C and F will no longer be available to people new to Medicare starting on January 1, 2020.
If you already have either of these 2 plans (or the high deductible version of Plan F) or are covered by one of these plans before January 1, 2020, you’ll be able to keep your plan.
If you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, but not yet enrolled, you may be able to buy one of these plans.
(Information provided by www.medicare.gov, a federal website managed and paid for by the U.S Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
For more information about the three most popular Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans (Plans F,G, and N), click on the plan links listed below: