Medicare Supplement Insurance, also known as Medigap, is private insurance that helps cover out-of-pocket costs not covered by Original Medicare, like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles. It’s designed to complement your Medicare Part A and Part B benefits, providing additional financial protection.

To be eligible, you generally must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B. Medicare Supplement plans are available to people aged 65 and older, and some states offer options for people under 65 who have certain disabilities. It’s recommended to enroll during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period to avoid medical underwriting

This period is a six-month window that begins the first month you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. During this time, you have the right to buy any Medicare Supplement plan offered in your state without being subject to medical underwriting, regardless of pre-existing health conditions.

Yes, most Medicare Supplement plans experience premium increases over time due to factors like inflation and rising healthcare costs. The extent of increase varies depending on the pricing structure of your plan and the insurance provider.

No, you don’t need to do anything to keep your Medicare Supplement coverage the same. Just continue paying your premiums on time, and your coverage will automatically renew.

Yes, you can switch plans, but acceptance is not guaranteed outside the Medigap Open Enrollment Period or a Special Enrollment Period. After this period, insurers can require medical underwriting, which may affect your ability to switch if you have pre-existing conditions.

Your Medicare Supplement policy is portable, meaning it remains valid if you move to another state. However, premium rates can vary by location, so you may see changes in your monthly premium when you move.

Some Medicare Supplement plans, like Plans C, D, F, G, M, and N, provide limited emergency coverage outside the United States. Generally, these plans cover 80% of the costs for emergency care outside the U.S. (after a $250 deductible), with a lifetime limit of $50,000.

There are 10 standardized Medicare Supplement plans, labeled Plan A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. Each plan offers a different level of coverage, and not all plans are available in every state. Plans F and G are the most comprehensive, but Plan F is only available to those eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.

Plan F is only available to beneficiaries who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. If you became eligible for Medicare on or after that date, you cannot enroll in Plan F. However, if you were eligible for Medicare before 2020, you may still be able to purchase Plan F if it’s available from insurance providers in your area, even if you haven’t previously enrolled in it.

Plan F offers the most comprehensive coverage among Medigap plans, covering all out-of-pocket costs for Medicare-approved services.

Plan G is one of the most popular options because it offers comprehensive coverage. It pays for most out-of-pocket costs under Original Medicare, including Part A deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance, as well as Part B coinsurance and excess charges. The only cost Plan G doesn’t cover is the Part B deductible.

Plan N covers many out-of-pocket expenses not included in Original Medicare, such as Part A hospital coinsurance and hospice care coinsurance, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, and the Part A deductible. It also partially covers Part B coinsurance, though you’ll pay small copayments for some office and emergency room visits. However, Plan N does not cover the Part B deductible or Part B excess charges, so you may have additional costs if your provider charges more than Medicare’s approved amount.

Medigap plans are priced based on three main pricing models:

•    Community-rated:** The same premium is charged to everyone, regardless of age.
•    Issue-age-rated:** Premiums are based on your age when you buy the policy. Younger buyers have lower rates that don’t increase due to age.
•    Attained-age-rated:** Premiums are based on your current age and increase as you get older.

Premiums may also vary based on gender, location, tobacco use, and other factors.

Medicare Part A primarily covers inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and limited home healthcare.

Most people don’t pay a premium for Part A if they or their spouse paid Medicare taxes while working for at least 10 years.

The Medicare Part A deductible for 2025 is $1,632 per benefit period, covering the first 60 days of inpatient hospital care.

Medicare Part B covers outpatient medical care, including doctor visits, preventive services, lab tests, and durable medical equipment.

• preventive services
• emergency room visits, but you may have out-of-pocket costs such as copayments and coinsurance
• medically necessary physical therapy and other outpatient rehabilitation services
• ambulance services if medically necessary for transport to a hospital or skilled nursing facility
• medically necessary supplies like oxygen equipment, wheelchairs, and diabetic testing supplies
• outpatient mental health care, including counseling, psychiatric evaluations, and some preventive screenings

The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B in 2025 is $185, an increase from $174.70 in 2024.

The annual deductible for Medicare Part B in 2025 is $257, up from $240 in 2024.

No, Medicare Supplement plans do not cover prescription drugs. If you need drug coverage, you should consider enrolling in a separate Medicare Part D plan.

In 2025, Medicare Part D will introduce a $2,000 annual out-of-pocket cap, remove the coverage gap (“donut hole”), and offer an option to spread out-of-pocket costs into monthly payments, making drug costs more predictable and manageable.

No, the coverage gap will be eliminated in 2025. You’ll only pay a deductible and 25% coinsurance until reaching the $2,000 out-of-pocket cap, after which you won’t owe anything further for covered drugs that year.

Yes, when you enroll in a new Part D drug plan, your old plan will automatically cancel as of the start date of your new coverage.

Medicare Supplement (Medigap) works alongside Original Medicare (Parts A and B), covering gaps in services provided by Medicare. Medicare Advantage (Part C) is an alternative that replaces your Original Medicare benefits with a private plan offering its own network and coverage rules. With Medicare Supplement, you can see any doctor who accepts Medicare, while Medicare Advantage plans may have network restrictions.

No, you cannot have both. Medicare Supplement insurance is meant to work alongside Original Medicare, not Medicare Advantage. If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, you cannot use a Medigap policy to cover your out-of-pocket costs.