Medicare Supplement Insurance, usually called Medigap, is private insurance that helps pay certain out-of-pocket costs in Original Medicare. You generally must have Medicare Parts A and B to buy a Medigap policy. Medigap does not work with Medicare Advantage.
Standardized benefits
Plans with the same letter provide the same standardized basic benefits, regardless of insurer, though premiums and customer service can differ. Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin standardize policies differently.
Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period
Your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period starts the first month you have Part B and are age 65 or older. During this period, an insurer generally cannot use medical underwriting to deny a policy or charge more because of health problems. Outside this period, federal protections are more limited, though other guaranteed-issue rights and state rules may apply.
What Medigap does not include
New Medigap policies generally do not include prescription drug coverage, so a person who wants drug coverage usually considers a separate Part D plan. Medigap also is not long-term care, dental, vision, or hearing coverage.