Medicare Supplement

Myth: Medigap includes drugs — what Chandler buyers learn

Medigap — also called Medicare Supplement Insurance — is a private policy that pays some of what Original Medicare leaves for you to pay. Think of the Part A hospital deductible, the 20% Part B coinsurance, and other gaps that add up quickly if you have a hospital stay or a run of specialist visits.

Medicare SupplementChandler, AZ

What Medigap is, and how it fits with Original Medicare

Medigap only works with Original Medicare. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you cannot use a Medigap policy at the same time. And Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage, so people in Chandler who choose Original Medicare plus Medigap typically also enroll in a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

The plan letters you can buy in Arizona today

Medigap policies are federally standardized. That means a Plan G sold by one insurer covers the same medical benefits as a Plan G sold by another — the difference is the company behind it, the customer service, and the price.

In Arizona, people newly eligible for Medicare can choose from:

• Plan A
• Plan B
• Plan D
• Plan G (and high-deductible Plan G)
• Plan K
• Plan L
• Plan M
• Plan N

Plans C and F are closed to anyone 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. Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin standardize their Medigap plans differently — Arizona uses the federal letters above.

Which insurers sell Medigap in Chandler

Chandler is in Maricopa County, and the same insurers licensed in Arizona sell across the state. The table below lists every insurer and the plan letters each offers. You will see familiar names like Aetna Health and Life Insurance Company, BlueCross BlueShield of Arizona, Humana (Humana Insurance Company), Mutual of Omaha (Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company), and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, alongside companies that specialize in Medigap.

Two things to notice when you look at the table:

1. Not every insurer sells every letter. Some carry a wide menu; others focus on just a few of the most common letters, such as A, G and N. 2. Because the benefits inside a given letter are set by federal rules, comparing "Plan G to Plan G" across insurers is a fair apples-to-apples comparison of price, service, and how the company handles rate increases.

We are not allowed — and would not try — to tell you which insurer or letter is "best." That depends on your health, budget, and how you like to pay for care.

How Medigap and Part D work together

Because Medigap does not cover prescriptions, most people pair it with a stand-alone Part D plan. A few program-level facts for 2026 that help you plan:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026. Once your covered drug spending reaches that amount, you pay $0 for the rest of the year on covered drugs.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated in 2025 — Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs into monthly payments over the year, at no extra charge, if that helps your budget.
• IRMAA (an income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D) begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

You can change stand-alone Part D plans during the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 – December 7, without touching your Medigap policy.

The state rules that shape your choice

Federal law gives you one very strong window: a six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period that starts the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, any insurer selling Medigap in Arizona must sell you any policy they offer, at their best available rate class for your situation, with no medical underwriting.

Outside that window, insurers in Arizona can generally ask health questions and decide whether to offer you a policy — unless you qualify for a federal guaranteed-issue right (for example, if a Medicare Advantage plan leaves your area, or you move out of a plan's service area).

Some states add their own protections — like "birthday rules" that let you switch to an equal or lesser plan each year without underwriting. Arizona's rules can change, so before you switch, check with:

• The Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions
• Your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which offers free, one-on-one counseling
• Medicare.gov's Medigap policy search