Medicare Part D

Medigap in Sitka: What Medicare Supplement Actually Covers in 2027

SITKA, Alaska — If you've ever opened a Medicare summary notice and wondered why the numbers still don't add up, you're not alone. Original Medicare pays a lot — but not everything. That's the gap Medicare Supplement insurance, better known as Medigap, is built to fill.

Here's a plain-English look at what Medigap does, what it doesn't, and how the standardized letter plans work heading into 2027.

What Medigap is — and isn't

Medigap is private insurance you can buy to go alongside Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). It helps pay some of the out-of-pocket costs that Original Medicare leaves behind — things like coinsurance, copayments, and in some cases the Part A deductible.

A few important points:

• Medigap only works with Original Medicare. You cannot use a Medigap policy with a Medicare Advantage plan.
• Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage. For drugs, you'd add a stand-alone Part D plan.
• Medigap does not typically cover dental, vision, hearing aids, or long-term care.
• You pay a monthly premium for Medigap in addition to your Part B premium.

How the standardized letter plans work

Medigap policies in most states are standardized by the federal government and labeled with letters: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. Two other states — Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin — standardize their plans a little differently, but Alaska follows the letter system.

The key thing to understand: a Plan G from one company covers the exact same core benefits as a Plan G from another company. The letter defines the benefits. What can differ is the monthly premium, customer service, and how the company handles rate increases over time.

One rule to keep in mind: if you became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, you can't buy Plans C or F as a new enrollee. Those plans covered the Part B deductible, which newer enrollees aren't allowed to have covered.

Why the timing of your Medigap purchase matters

The single most important date in the Medigap world is the start of your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. This is a six-month window that begins the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B.

During that window, insurance companies must sell you any Medigap policy they offer at their best available rate, regardless of your health history. Miss it, and in most states — Alaska included — insurers can use medical underwriting. That means they can charge you more, or turn you down, based on your health.

If you're weighing Medigap in Sitka, know your enrollment window before you shop.

Where Sitka fits in

Sitka sits inside the Sitka Census Area, which is Alaska's equivalent of a county. Medicare plan availability — including Medicare Advantage and Part D plans — is set at the county (or census area) level, not the city level.

Medigap is a little different from Advantage and Part D because Medigap policies aren't sold on a county-by-county menu the same way. They're offered by carriers licensed in Alaska, and availability depends on which insurers write policies in the state. If you're comparing options, the official Medigap finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your ZIP code and see which carriers sell each lettered plan in your area.

Numbers worth knowing for 2027

Even if you have Medigap, you'll still want a Part D plan for prescriptions. A few program-level figures to know:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your out-of-pocket drug spending hits that ceiling, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• Maximum Part D deductible: $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") was eliminated in 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is an optional way to spread your drug costs into monthly installments over the plan year — helpful if a big pharmacy bill would land all at once.
• IRMAA surcharges — higher Part B and Part D premiums for higher-income enrollees — start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Key dates to remember

• Medicare Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7. This is for Part D and Medicare Advantage changes. Medigap has its own rules and isn't tied to this window.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: January 1 – March 31, for people already on an Advantage plan.
• Medigap Open Enrollment: Your personal six-month window that starts when you're 65 and on Part B.