Let’s find the perfect Medicare Supplement option for you.
Commonly known as Medigap, Medicare Supplement plans help fill in the gaps of Original Medicare. We can help you find the right plan with a no-obligation quote.
Please enter your zip code to compare plans in your area.
Medicare Supplement Essentials
Medicare Supplemental Insurance, also known as Medigap, helps cover co-insurance, co-payments and deductibles. This helps control costs giving you peace of mind when accessing your Medicare benefits.
By signing up for Medicare Supplement insurance, you receive:
- The ability to choose your own doctors and hospitals
- Selection of a specialist without a referral
- Coverage for gaps in Original Medicare, such as deductibles, coinsurance and copayments
- Nationwide coverage to use anywhere in the United States
- Locked in renewability. The insurance company can’t drop you or change your coverage due to a health condition.
Additional Medicare Supplement insurance facts:
- You must have Medicare Parts A and B to buy a Medigap Policy
- Medicare Supplement plans cover only one person. Your spouse must have their own policy.
- You can also buy a Medigap policy outside the open enrollment period. But, there may be restrictions, like medical underwriting or a waiting period for pre-existing conditions.
Medicare Supplement insurance benefits:
- All plans are required to cover a percentage of the following basic benefits.
- Medicare Part A coinsurance costs
- Medicare Part B hospice care coinsurance and copayments
- Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayments
- First three pints of blood used in a medical procedure
- Some Medicare Supplement plans include additional basic benefits. For example, Plan G is the most comprehensive standardized Medigap insurance plan available.
When you choose Supplemental Insurance to augment your Medicare, you have benefits for covered inpatient and outpatient procedures based on which Medigap plan you choose.
Medicare Supplement Costs
The price of a Medicare Supplement varies greatly by state. A number of factors are used to determine your monthly costs, such as your gender, zip code, tobacco usage and age.
Things to consider before Medicare Supplement Enrollment
Requirements and limitations:
- In order to buy a Medicare Supplement policy, you must first have enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B
- A Medicare Part D plan for prescription medication is a great addition to your Medicare Supplement plan
- If you and your spouse both want Medigap coverage, you’ll each need separate policies
- Medigap policies generally do not cover dental, vision, hearing aids, eyeglasses, long-term care, or private nursing
- You cannot enroll in Medicare Advantage and Medigap—they’re different kinds of plans
Medicare Supplement insurance details
Important considerations:
- If you are in Medicare Parts A and B, you can purchase Medicare Supplement coverage on the first day of the month you turn 65. During this time, you can buy any Medigap policy sold in your state regardless of your health.
- Plan G and Plan N are the most popular Medicare supplement plans
- Many believe that Plan G is the broadest Medicare supplement coverage and covers all gaps left by Medicare Parts A and B
- You pay the private insurance company a monthly premium for your Medicare Supplement policy. This is in addition to your Medicare Part B premium.
- The insurance company cannot cancel your Medicare supplement policy, no matter your health conditions, as long as you pay the premium
The differences between Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage plans
Medicare Supplement
Was created to fill the Original Medicare gaps in coverage
Generally, provides lower out-of-pocket expenses by charging a higher monthly premium
Covers any doctor or facility that accepts Medicare
Can be used in all 50 states, with some plans offering coverage when traveling outside the U.S.
VS
Plan Management
Costs
Network Coverage
Location
Medicare Advantage
Provides an alternative to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B)
Often costs less than Medicare A and B plus a Medicare Supplement and can cover more services like dental, vision and hearing benefits
Requires you to use doctors and facilities within the HMO or PPO. Out-of-network care may cost more or not be covered at all.
Functions within a certain region
Medicare Supplement |
VS |
Medicare Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Was created to fill the Original Medicare gaps in coverage | Plan Management | Providers an alternative to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) |
| Generally, provides lower out-of-pocket expenses by charging a higher monthly premium | Costs | Often costs less than Medicare Supplement and can cover more services like dental, vision and hearing benefits |
| Covers any doctor or facility that accepts Medicare | Network Coverage | Requires you to use doctors and facilities within the HMO or PPO. Out-of-network care may cost more or not be covered at all. |
| Can be used in all 50 states, with some plans offering coverage when traveling outside the U.S. | Location | Functions within a certain region |
Medicare Supplement (Medigap)
Most states offer eight Medicare Supplement plans to choose from. All policies have been standardized, so the only difference between plans tends to be the monthly premium cost.
Medicare Supplement insurance plans are denoted by the letters A through N. See the chart below.
Benefits |
Medigap Plans | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | B | C | D | F* | G* | K** | L** | M | N*** | |
| Part A coinsurance and hospital costs (up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are used up) | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Part B coinsurance or copayment | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 50% | 75% | 100% | 100% |
| Blood (first 3 pints) | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 50% | 75% | 100% | 100% |
| Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 50% | 75% | 100% | 100% |
| Skilled nursing care coinsurance | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 50% | 75% | 100% | 100% | ||
| Part A deductible | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 50% | 75% | 100% | 100% | |
| Part B deductible | 100% | 100% | ||||||||
| Part B excess charge | 100% | 100% | ||||||||
| Foreign travel exchange (up to plan limits) | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | ||||
| Out-of-pocket limit** | $7,060 in 2024 |
$3,530 in 2024 |
||||||||
* Plans F and G also offer a high-deductible plan in some states. With this option, you must pay for Medicare-covered costs (coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles) up to the deductible amount of $2,800 in 2024 before your policy pays anything. (You can’t buy Plans C and F if you were new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 from the Medicare book page.
** For Plans K and L, after you meet your out-of-pocket yearly limit and your yearly Part B deductible ($240 in 2024), the Medigap plan pays 100% of covered services for the rest of the calendar year.
*** Plan N pays 100% of the Part B coinsurance. You must pay 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 an inpatient admission.
The best way to get started
Now that you have a general working knowledge of Medicare Supplement information, let’s get shopping for your best plan. Don’t worry, we’re here to help you every step of the way. Just click the link below and we can continue the journey together.