Medicare Supplement plans — also called Medigap — are how a lot of people on Original Medicare protect themselves from the costs Medicare leaves behind. Here's what they actually do, how they're different from Medicare Advantage, and how to think about which one fits.
A Medicare Supplement — almost everyone calls them Medigap plans — is a private insurance policy you can buy to pair with Original Medicare. It's secondary coverage. Medicare pays first, then your Medigap plan steps in to help pay the share Medicare leaves to you.
Here's the thing most people don't realize until they're already on Medicare: Original Medicare doesn't cover everything. Part A has a hospital deductible. Part B leaves you with 20% of most outpatient costs. There's no annual cap on what you could end up paying. That 20% sounds small until you have a serious health event and start adding up surgeries, scans, and specialist visits.
Medigap plans exist to fill those gaps. You pay a monthly premium for the supplement, and in return, the plan covers most or all of the share Medicare leaves to you, depending on which letter plan you pick.
You stay on Original Medicare the whole time. You keep your red, white, and blue Medicare card. Your doctors still bill Medicare first. Your Medigap plan just picks up the rest of the bill on the back end.
Confused already? Don't be. This is the kind of thing that takes about 20 minutes to walk through with a licensed agent — and it's free.
Talk to an agentThis is where most people get tripped up, so we'll be direct about it.
Medicare Advantage and Medigap are two completely different ways to handle your Medicare coverage. They are not add-ons to each other. You pick one path or the other.
Medicare Advantage replaces Original Medicare for your day-to-day coverage. You get your benefits through a private plan. There's typically a network of doctors, copays at the point of care, and prescription drug coverage built in. Lower monthly premiums on average, more cost-sharing as you use care.
Medigap keeps you on Original Medicare and adds a second policy on top of it to cover the gaps. No networks — you can see any provider in the country who accepts Medicare. Higher monthly premiums on average, but very few surprises at the point of care because the supplement handles your share. You'll also need a stand-alone Part D drug plan since Medigap doesn't include drug coverage.
Neither path is automatically better. Medigap tends to fit people who want predictable costs, who travel a lot, who want to keep doctors anywhere in the country, or who have ongoing health conditions where the costs of care could add up fast. Medicare Advantage tends to fit people who are comfortable with a network and want to keep their monthly premiums lower.
The honest answer to "which is better" is: it depends on your health, your doctors, your travel, and how you want your costs to feel. That's the conversation a licensed agent has with you.
Here's the part that surprises most people, and it's actually good news.
Medigap plans are federally standardized. That means a Plan G from one insurance company covers exactly the same things as a Plan G from any other insurance company. The benefits are set by federal law — the insurance carriers don't get to change them.
What does change between carriers is the monthly premium. Same plan, same coverage, different price depending on the carrier, your ZIP code, your age, and a few other factors. That's why working with an independent agent matters: we can shop the same plan across multiple carriers and find you a competitive rate.
Plans are identified by letters: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. Each letter covers a different combination of gaps. Some are comprehensive. Some are more bare-bones in exchange for lower premiums. Most people end up choosing between Plan G and Plan N — those are the two most popular plans for people new to Medicare today.
Plan G is the most comprehensive Medigap plan available to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. It covers nearly every gap Medicare leaves behind — the Part A hospital deductible, the Part B coinsurance, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, and more.
There's one thing it doesn't cover: the annual Part B deductible. You pay that yourself once a year. After that, Plan G picks up the rest.
People who choose Plan G usually want maximum predictability. After the small annual deductible, you generally don't see bills for Medicare-approved services for the rest of the year.
Plan N is the runner-up to Plan G in popularity. It covers most of the same gaps Plan G covers, with a few exceptions.
With Plan N, you're responsible for the annual Part B deductible (same as Plan G), plus small copays for some doctor visits and emergency room visits, plus something called Part B excess charges if you see a provider who doesn't accept Medicare's standard rate.
The trade-off: Plan N usually has lower monthly premiums than Plan G. People who choose Plan N tend to be comfortable with a little cost-sharing along the way in exchange for paying less every month.
There are other plan letters too — Plans A, B, D, K, L, M, and high-deductible versions of Plan G. Each letter covers a different combination of gaps. Most of them aren't as popular for new enrollees, but a licensed agent can walk you through every option to figure out which one actually fits your situation.
Plan G or Plan N? Most people decide between these two. The right answer depends on how often you see doctors and how you'd rather pay — more upfront or more as you go. We can walk you through it.
Get a free comparisonWhen people ask us how to pick a Medigap plan, we usually walk them through a handful of questions. These are the ones that actually matter.
If you want to know almost exactly what your healthcare will cost each month, lean toward more comprehensive plans. If you're fine with some cost-sharing in exchange for a lower premium, lean toward plans like Plan N.
Medigap plans don't have networks — you can see any provider in the country who accepts Medicare. If you split time between states, travel a lot, or just want maximum flexibility, this is one of Medigap's biggest advantages.
If you see specialists regularly or expect to use a lot of care, the math usually favors a more comprehensive plan. The premiums are higher, but you're not getting hit with copays and coinsurance every time you walk into a doctor's office.
There's a one-time enrollment window where you can buy any Medigap plan with no health questions asked. Outside that window, in most states, you have to answer health questions and you can be denied. If you're healthy and inside your window, your options are wide open.
Same Plan G, different prices across carriers. An independent agent compares them for you so you don't have to call ten different companies.
Medigap doesn't cover prescriptions, so you'll also need a stand-alone Part D plan. We compare those at the same time so you have a complete picture.
This is where Medigap is genuinely different from Medicare Advantage, and it's important.
Your one-time, six-month window. It starts the month your Medicare Part B becomes effective, usually around your 65th birthday. During this window, you can buy any Medigap plan from any carrier with no health questions. They cannot deny you, charge you more for health reasons, or impose waiting periods.
This is the most important window in Medicare. People who skip it and try to buy a Medigap plan later often find out they can be denied or rated up because of their health.
Certain life events — like losing other coverage or moving out of your Medicare Advantage plan's service area — can trigger a guaranteed issue window. These rights vary by state and situation. They give you a limited window to enroll in certain Medigap plans without health questions.
You can apply for a Medigap plan any time of year, but in most states, the carrier can ask health questions and decide whether to offer you a policy. This is called medical underwriting. Some people qualify, some don't.
There's no Annual Election Period for Medigap the way there is for Medicare Advantage and Part D. The fall enrollment window most people hear about doesn't apply to Medigap in the same way.
If you're inside your one-time Medigap window, your options are wide open and the timing matters. A quick call clears up exactly where you stand.
Talk to an agentNo hard sell. No mailers. Three steps and a real conversation.
Your ZIP, your timing (are you inside your one-time window?), the doctors you want to keep, the prescriptions you take. That's most of what we need.
Plans are standardized but premiums aren't. We shop the plan you're considering across the carriers we represent and show you the strongest matches. We also pair it with a Part D plan that covers your prescriptions.
You pick what fits. We handle the paperwork and stay with you year after year — because Medigap premiums change over time, and it's worth a periodic review to make sure you're still on a competitive plan.
It costs you nothing. We're paid by the carrier you enroll with. Your premium is the same whether you enroll through us, through the carrier directly, or through anyone else.
Tell us a bit about your situation and a licensed agent will reach out within one business day. No pressure to enroll in anything. We'll just walk you through what's available to you.
That's exactly the question we help people answer every day. One call, no pressure, no obligation. We'll walk you through Medigap, compare it to Medicare Advantage, and help you figure out which one actually fits your situation.
By calling the number above, you will be connected to a licensed insurance agent. Mon–Fri 8am–8pm CT.
