Medicare
Medicare Supplement (Medigap)
Standardised policies that pay the deductibles and coinsurance Original Medicare leaves behind, with no network at all.
$0 advisor fee on this line, including every review afterwards
A Medicare Supplement, still widely called Medigap, does one job: it pays the share of Part A and Part B costs that Original Medicare does not. It has no network. If a provider anywhere in the country accepts Medicare, they accept your supplement, because the supplement simply follows Medicare's decision.
The plans are lettered and standardised by law, so Plan G from one carrier covers exactly what Plan G from another covers. What differs is the premium, the carrier's rating method, and their history of rate increases. That makes this one of the few insurance decisions where comparing on price is genuinely reasonable, provided you also look at how the carrier prices its book over time.
The part that matters most is timing. Your Medigap open-enrolment window runs for six months from the month your Part B starts, if you are 65 or older. Inside it, carriers must issue you a policy regardless of health. Outside it, in most states including Florida, they can ask health questions and decline you. That single rule shapes the Advantage-versus-Supplement decision more than any brochure does.
What this covers
- Part A coinsurance and hospital costs. Covered by every lettered plan, including an extra 365 days after Medicare's benefit days are used up.
- Part B coinsurance. The 20% Original Medicare leaves. Plan G covers it in full after the annual Part B deductible; Plan N covers it with small copays at office and emergency visits.
- Any Medicare provider, nationwide. No network, no referrals, no prior authorisation from the supplement. If Medicare approves the claim, the supplement pays its share.
- Foreign travel emergency. Most lettered plans include limited emergency cover abroad, subject to a deductible and a lifetime maximum.
- Guaranteed renewable. The carrier cannot cancel the policy because you got sick, as long as premiums are paid. Premiums do rise with age and with the carrier's rate filings.
How we work it with you
- Confirm your open-enrolment window. Six months from your Part B effective date. If you are inside it, you can be issued any plan any participating carrier offers, no health questions.
- Choose the letter before the carrier. Plan G and Plan N are the common choices for people newly eligible. We show the real cost difference across a year, including Plan N's copays and any excess charges.
- Compare carriers on rating method. Attained-age, issue-age or community-rated changes how the premium behaves over twenty years. The cheapest first-year premium is not always the cheapest decade.
- Add a standalone Part D plan. A supplement does not cover prescriptions. You need a separate Part D plan, or you will accrue the Part D late-enrolment penalty.
- Review the premium annually. We re-shop your supplement each year. If a switch makes sense and you can pass underwriting, we tell you. If you cannot, we say so plainly.
Who this usually fits
- You travel, snowbird, or want care outside Florida without checking a network
- You want predictable costs and will pay a higher monthly premium to get them
- You see specialists directly and do not want referral or prior-authorisation steps
- You are inside your six-month open-enrolment window and want to lock in guaranteed issue
When we would point you elsewhere
If a stable monthly budget matters more than a low worst-case year, and all your providers are local and in-network, an Advantage plan may cost you far less overall.
What drives the cost
Typical ranges for this area. Your own price depends on your address, your age and the plan you pick.
| Factor | Typical range or shape | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Plan G monthly premium | $135 - $210 at age 65 | Varies by carrier, zip code, tobacco use and sex. Rises with age on attained-age pricing. |
| Annual Part B deductible | You pay it on Plan G | Plan F covered it but is closed to people newly eligible on or after 1 January 2020. |
| Plan N office copay | Up to $20 per visit, $50 for ER | Plan N also leaves Part B excess charges to you, which matters with some providers. |
| Part D plan | Bought separately | Budget for it. A supplement on its own leaves prescriptions entirely uncovered. |
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Carriers we can quote on this line
Lettered plans are standardised, so carriers compete on price and rating method.
- Palmetto Mutual
- Ironwood Mutual
- Tidewater Assurance
- Kestrel Health Plans
Questions we are asked about medicare supplement (medigap)
It starts the first month you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B, and runs six months. During it, carriers must sell you any supplement they offer at their standard rate regardless of your health history. It happens once.
In Florida, generally yes. Outside guaranteed-issue situations, carriers can medically underwrite. Some carriers are more lenient than others, and we know which, but no one can promise an approval.
No. Plan N trades a lower premium for small copays and exposure to Part B excess charges. If you have few office visits, Plan N can win over a year. We run both against your actual usage.
No. Lettered supplements cover Medicare cost-sharing only. Dental, vision and hearing need a separate policy, which is one reason people compare supplements against Advantage plans that bundle those extras.
Related coverage
Medicare Advantage (Part C)
Network plans from private carriers that bundle Parts A and B, usually Part D, and often dental, vision and hearing.
Compare coverage
Part D prescription drug cover
Standalone drug plans, formulary tiers, the coverage stages, and the penalty for waiting.
Compare coverage
Dental, vision and hearing
Standalone cover for the three things Original Medicare does not pay for at all.
Compare coverage
Call and ask us anything. Nothing is sold on the phone.
Twenty minutes with someone who will ask for your doctor list before naming a plan. If the right answer is the plan you already have, that is what you will hear.
(727) 555-0241Mon - Thu 8:30 am - 5:30 pm · Friday 8:30 am - 3:00 pm · TTY 711 · Se habla español
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