Medicare Part D

Medigap in Denver: Medicare Supplement in 2027

DENVER — If you're on Original Medicare and worried about what happens when the bills stack up, you've probably heard the word "Medigap." It's short for Medicare Supplement insurance, and it's one of the more misunderstood pieces of the Medicare puzzle.

Denver seniors, here's how Medigap actually works

Medigap doesn't replace Medicare. It works alongside it, helping pay some of the out-of-pocket costs that Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) leaves behind — things like coinsurance, copayments, and certain deductibles. For Denver residents weighing their options, understanding what Medigap does — and doesn't — do is a good first step.

What Medigap is designed to cover

Medigap policies are sold by private insurance companies, but they're standardized by the federal government. That means the benefits in each lettered plan are the same no matter which company sells it. Common cost-sharing items Medigap plans may help with include:

• Part A hospital coinsurance and extra hospital days after Medicare benefits are used up
• Part B coinsurance or copayments
• The first three pints of blood
• Skilled nursing facility coinsurance (in most letter plans)
• Part A hospice care coinsurance
• Some plans also help with the Part A deductible, foreign travel emergency care, and — for people who became eligible before Jan. 1, 2020 — the Part B deductible

What Medigap doesn't cover is just as important. It generally does not pay for prescription drugs (that's Part D), long-term care, dental, vision, hearing aids, or private-duty nursing.

The lettered plans, explained

Medigap plans are labeled by letters: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M and N. (Plans C and F are no longer available to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after Jan. 1, 2020.) Each letter offers a different mix of benefits, but within a letter, the coverage is the same from company to company. What can differ is the monthly premium.

Two people in Denver buying the same lettered plan from two different carriers are getting the same benefits — the difference is price, customer service, and how the insurer sets premiums (by age, or the same for everyone, for example).

Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage — they're not the same

This trips a lot of people up. Medigap works only with Original Medicare. If you're enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), you cannot also use a Medigap policy — and it's actually illegal for someone to sell you one in that situation.

Medicare Advantage bundles your coverage through a private plan, often including drug coverage and extras. Medigap keeps you on Original Medicare and helps fill the cost-sharing gaps. Both are legitimate paths; they're just different roads.

A snapshot of Denver

Denver is in Denver County, where Medicare beneficiaries can shop from a wide range of Medigap carriers licensed to sell in Colorado. Availability of Medigap policies is regulated at the state level by the Colorado Division of Insurance, not at the county level like Medicare Advantage or Part D plans. That means most standardized letter plans offered in Colorado are broadly available across the metro area.

Because Medigap premiums vary by carrier, age, and rating method, comparing quotes for the same lettered plan is usually the most useful exercise.

Timing matters — a lot

The best window to buy a Medigap policy is your Medigap Open Enrollment Period: the six months that start the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers can't turn you down or charge you more because of your health. Miss it, and in most cases they can use medical underwriting, which may affect whether you qualify or what you'll pay.

Note: The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment (Jan. 1 – March 31) apply to Advantage and Part D plans, not Medigap. Medigap has its own rules.

A quick word on 2027 drug costs

Medigap doesn't cover prescriptions, so most people on Original Medicare pair it with a stand-alone Part D drug plan. A few program facts worth knowing as you look at 2027 coverage:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027).
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated in 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the calendar year in monthly amounts, at no extra charge.
• IRMAA income surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.