Medicare Part D

Medicare Supplement Letters A Through N in Topeka

TOPEKA, Kan. — If you've ever tried to shop for a Medicare Supplement policy, you know the alphabet soup can be dizzying. Plans labeled A, B, D, G, K, L, M, N — and, for some folks, C and F. What do those letters mean? And why does the same letter show up from different insurance companies?

A Plain-English Guide for Topeka Medicare Users

Here's the short answer: Medicare Supplement plans, often called Medigap, are standardized by federal law. That means a Plan G sold in Topeka offers the same core benefits as a Plan G sold in another state. Only the price and the company selling it can differ.

Let's break it down.

What Medigap Actually Does

Medigap is private insurance that works alongside Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). It doesn't replace Medicare. Instead, it helps cover some of the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare leaves behind — things like coinsurance, copayments, and certain deductibles.

A few important points to keep in mind:

• Medigap only works with Original Medicare, not with Medicare Advantage.
• Medigap generally does not include prescription drug coverage. For that, you'd add a separate Part D plan.
• You pay a monthly premium for Medigap on top of your Part B premium.

Why the Letters Exist

Before the early 1990s, Medigap policies were a confusing mess. Congress stepped in and told insurers: if you want to sell a Medicare Supplement, it has to fit one of these standardized templates. Today there are 10 standardized letter plans available in most states.

Each letter represents a specific bundle of benefits. For example, all Plan N policies cover the same set of gaps, no matter which company issues them. That's the whole point — you can compare across carriers by price and customer service rather than trying to decode fine print.

Kansas follows the federal standardized structure. (Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have their own systems, but Kansans do not need to worry about that.)

The Newer-Enrollee Rule You Should Know

Here's a change that catches many people off guard: if you became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, you cannot buy a Medigap plan that covers the Part B deductible. That rules out Plans C and F for newer enrollees.

If you were eligible before that date, Plans C and F may still be available to you.

This is why you'll see Plan G talked about a lot for people aging into Medicare today — it's the closest equivalent to the old Plan F, minus the Part B deductible coverage.

Availability Around Topeka

Topeka is in Shawnee County, where Medigap plans are regulated at the state level by the Kansas Insurance Department, and availability is broadly similar across Kansas counties. Unlike Medicare Advantage, Medigap isn't sold on a county-by-county network basis — but the premiums and the number of carriers offering each letter plan can vary.

To see which carriers offer which letter plans in your ZIP code, the plan finder at medicare.gov is the official starting point.

When You Can Enroll

This is where timing really matters. Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a one-time, six-month window that starts the month you're both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window:

• You can buy any Medigap plan sold in Kansas.
• Insurers cannot turn you down or charge you more because of health conditions.

Outside that window, insurers in most states — including Kansas — can use medical underwriting. That means they can ask health questions and potentially decline coverage or charge more.

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

How Medigap Fits with 2027 Drug Coverage Changes

Because Medigap doesn't include drug coverage, most Medigap enrollees pair their policy with a stand-alone Part D prescription plan. A few facts worth knowing as you look at 2027 coverage:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615 in 2026 and $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 year in monthly installments if you choose.
• IRMAA surcharges — extra premium amounts for higher earners — begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.