Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Sitka: How Standardized Letter Plans Work

SITKA, Alaska — If you're new to Medicare, or helping a parent sort through the mail piling up on the kitchen table, you've probably run into the term "Medigap." It sounds like insurance jargon, and in a way it is. But the idea behind it is simple: Medigap plans help pay some of the costs Original Medicare leaves behind.

Here's how these plans work, what the letters mean, and where Sitka residents can get free, unbiased help.

What Medigap actually does

Medigap is another name for Medicare Supplement Insurance. It's sold by private companies, and it works alongside Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) — not instead of it.

When you go to the doctor or hospital, Medicare pays its share first. Then your Medigap policy kicks in and helps cover things like coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles that Medicare doesn't fully pay. Depending on the letter plan you choose, it may also cover a portion of costs for emergency care while traveling outside the U.S.

A few important points from Medicare.gov:

• Medigap only works with Original Medicare. If you're enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), you can't also use a Medigap policy.
• Medigap does not cover prescription drugs. For that, you'd need a separate Part D plan.
• Medigap does not cover long-term care, dental, vision, hearing aids, or private-duty nursing.
• Each person needs their own policy. Spouses can't share one.

The standardized letters, explained

Here's the part that trips people up: Medigap plans are sold by many different companies, but the benefits inside each lettered plan are set by the federal government. That means Plan G from one company covers the exact same things as Plan G from another company. The price can vary, but the coverage cannot.

In most states, Medigap plans are labeled with letters: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. (Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin standardize their plans a little differently.)

A few things worth knowing:

• Plans C and F are no longer available to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. If you were eligible before that date, you may still be able to buy them.
• Plan G and Plan N are common choices for newer enrollees because they offer broad coverage.
• Plans K and L have lower premiums but higher out-of-pocket limits.

Because the benefits are standardized, comparing plans really comes down to price, the company's customer service, and how they handle rate increases over time.

When to enroll — and why timing matters

The best time to buy a Medigap policy is during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. This is a one-time, six-month window that starts the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B.

During this window, insurance companies can't turn you down or charge you more because of health problems. Miss it, and in most states insurers can use medical underwriting — meaning they can deny you or raise your rate based on your health history. Alaska follows the federal rules here, so this window matters.

This is different from the fall Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7), which applies to Medicare Advantage and Part D — not Medigap.

How Medigap fits with Part D and the new drug cap

Because Medigap doesn't cover prescriptions, most people who choose Original Medicare + Medigap also enroll in a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

Here's what's new for 2026, according to Medicare.gov:

• Part D has a $2,100 out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone — 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.
• Higher-income enrollees may pay an IRMAA surcharge; for a single filer in 2026, that starts above $109,000 in income.

These rules apply nationwide, including here in Sitka.

The Sitka picture

Sitka is part of the Sitka Borough, which Medicare treats as its county-level service area. Unlike Medicare Advantage plans — which are tied to county service areas and vary from place to place — Medigap availability isn't limited by county in the same way. Any insurance company licensed to sell Medigap in Alaska can typically offer coverage to residents statewide, subject to state rules.

That said, the number of Medigap carriers active in Alaska is smaller than in many Lower 48 states, so it's worth comparing quotes from more than one company before deciding.