Medicare Advantage

Medigap in 2027: Clarksville, TN Guide

People in Clarksville can choose from 49 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 57 this year. Twelve of this year’s plans are gone, 4 are new to Montgomery County, and 23 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 8 of them under a new name.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — If you've ever looked at a Medicare Summary Notice and wondered why there's still a bill after Medicare paid its share, you've already met the reason Medicare Supplement insurance exists. These policies — commonly called Medigap — are built to help pay the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare leaves behind.

Here in Clarksville, where a lot of folks are aging into Medicare from the Fort Campbell community and Austin Peay, Medigap questions come up a lot. Let's walk through what it does, what it doesn't, and how those mystery letters (Plan G, Plan N, and so on) actually work.

What Medigap is — and what it isn't

Medigap is private insurance you buy to sit alongside Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). After Medicare pays its portion for a covered service, your Medigap policy picks up some or all of what's left — things like coinsurance, copayments, and in some cases the Part A or Part B deductible.

A few things Medigap is not:

• It is not Medicare Advantage. Medicare Advantage (Part C) replaces how you get your Original Medicare benefits. Medigap works with Original Medicare. You can't have both at the same time.
• It generally does not cover prescription drugs. For that, you'd add a stand-alone Part D drug plan.
• It does not cover routine dental, vision, hearing aids, or long-term care.

How the standardized letters work

Here's the part that trips people up. Medigap plans are standardized by the federal government and labeled with letters: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. (Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin standardize theirs differently.)

The key idea: a Plan G from one company covers the same things as a Plan G from another company. The benefits inside each letter are set by law. What can differ between companies is the price, customer service, and how they handle billing.

Two more important notes:

• Plans C and F are only available to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. If you were newly eligible after that date, those two are off the table.
• Plans K and L have out-of-pocket limits but pay a smaller share of certain costs until you hit that limit.

Because comparing letters is really an apples-to-apples exercise, Medicare.gov has a plan finder that lists which policies are sold in your ZIP code.

When you can buy — and why timing matters

The best window to buy a Medigap policy is your Medigap Open Enrollment Period: the six months that start the first month you're 65 and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers can't turn you down or charge you more because of health problems.

Outside that window, in most states, insurers can use medical underwriting — meaning your health history can affect whether you're accepted or what you pay. Tennessee generally follows that federal rule, so timing really matters. If you're thinking about switching from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare plus Medigap later on, talk to someone at your local SHIP first so you understand what protections you do or don't have.

Medigap and drug coverage in 2027

Medigap doesn't include drug coverage, so most people pair it with a Part D plan. A few numbers worth knowing for 2027:

• Part D has an out-of-pocket cap of $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027 for covered drugs.
• The maximum Part D deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027 (plans can set theirs lower).
• The old coverage gap or "donut hole" is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly amounts instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA surcharges — extra amounts higher-income enrollees pay for Part B and Part D — begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

What's available around Clarksville

Clarksville is in Montgomery County, where Medicare plan availability — including Part D drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans — is set at the county level. That means two neighbors on the same street have the same menu of plans to choose from, but a cousin in Robertson or Stewart County may see a different list.

For a current count of what's offered in Montgomery County, the plan finder at Medicare.gov is the official source. Availability changes each year, so it's worth checking again during the fall enrollment window even if you were happy last year.

Key dates to keep on the fridge

• October 15 – December 7: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. This is when you can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
• January 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another MA plan or go back to Original Medicare (and potentially add a Part D plan).
• Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period: The six months starting the first month you're both 65 and enrolled in Part B. This one is personal to you, not a calendar date.