Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Chandler: what the letter plans really cover

Chandler, Arizona — If you're new to Medicare or helping a parent sort through it, you've probably run into a wall of letters: Plan A, Plan G, Plan N, and more. Those letters aren't random. They're the backbone of Medicare Supplement insurance — often called Medigap — and once you understand how they work, the whole system feels a lot less confusing.

Here's a plain-language guide to what Medigap does, what it doesn't, and how the standardized letter plans fit together.

What Medigap actually is

Medigap is private insurance you can buy to sit 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 certain deductibles.

A few important ground rules from Medicare.gov:

• Medigap only works with Original Medicare. If you're enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), you can't use a Medigap policy at the same time.
• Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage. For drugs, you'd add a separate Part D plan.
• You pay a monthly premium for Medigap in addition to your Part B premium.
• Medigap policies only cover one person. Spouses each need their own policy.

How the "letter plans" work

This is the part that trips people up. In most states, including Arizona, Medigap policies are standardized by the federal government and labeled with letters: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N.

Standardized means this: Plan G from one insurance company covers the exact same core benefits as Plan G from any other company. The letter defines the benefits. What can differ between companies is the price, customer service, and extras like fitness programs.

So when you compare Medigap policies, you're really doing two things:

1. Deciding which letter matches the level of coverage you want. 2. Comparing prices and companies offering that letter.

Plans C and F are only available to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Everyone newer to Medicare chooses from the remaining letters.

What Medigap helps pay for

Depending on the letter you pick, a Medigap policy may help cover:

• Part A hospital coinsurance and extra hospital days after Medicare's benefits run out
• Part B coinsurance or copayments (usually the 20% Original Medicare doesn't pay)
• The first three pints of blood
• Hospice care coinsurance
• Skilled nursing facility coinsurance
• Part A deductible
• Foreign travel emergency care (with some plans)

Plans K and L work a little differently — they cover a percentage of costs and include an annual out-of-pocket limit.

What Medigap does not cover

This is just as important to know. Medigap generally doesn't cover:

• Prescription drugs (you'd need a stand-alone Part D plan)
• Routine dental, vision, or hearing care
• Hearing aids or eyeglasses
• Long-term care (like a nursing home stay for custodial care)
• Private-duty nursing

If those things matter to you, you'll want to plan for them separately.

The best time to buy — and why timing matters

The single most important date in Medigap is your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It's a six-month window that starts the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B.

During that window, you have what's called a guaranteed issue right. That means insurance companies:

• Must sell you any Medigap policy they offer
• Can't charge you more because of health problems
• Can't make you wait for coverage based on pre-existing conditions

Outside that window, in most cases, insurers in Arizona can use medical underwriting — meaning your health history can affect whether you're approved and what you pay. That's why the timing of your first Medigap decision matters so much.

How this fits with the bigger 2026 picture

Chandler is in Maricopa County, where residents have a wide mix of Medicare choices — Original Medicare with or without a Medigap policy, Medicare Advantage plans, and stand-alone Part D drug plans. The right path depends on your doctors, your medications, your budget, and how you like to handle care.

A few 2026 program facts worth knowing as you weigh Medigap plus a Part D plan versus other options:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 — once you hit it, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone; Part D now has three payment phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly amounts.
• IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for single filers in 2026.
• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31.