Medicare Supplement

Are you newly eligible? Scottsdale Medigap rules differ

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — As 2027 approaches, Scottsdale residents shopping for a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy will not see a dramatic overhaul of the program — but a handful of quieter shifts matter. The plan letters you can buy depend on when you first became eligible for Medicare, the Part B deductible that Plans G and N are built around resets every January, and Arizona insurers file new rates with the state each year. Here is a plain-language look at what is changing, what is not, and how to check the pieces that vary by carrier.

Which plan letters you can buy in 2027

Medigap plans are standardized by the federal government, so a Plan G sold by one insurer covers the same core benefits as a Plan G sold by another. What changes between carriers is price, customer service and extras — not the letter's benefits.

Two eligibility rules to keep straight for 2027:

• If you became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, you can still buy Plans C and F (including high-deductible F), in addition to the other letters.
• If you became eligible on or after January 1, 2020, Plans C and F are off the table. Your choices are Plans A, B, D, G, G-HD, K, L, M and N.

Plan G and Plan N are the two most commonly discussed choices for people newly eligible today, because they cover most of the same gaps that Plan F used to — with the Part B deductible being the main thing you pay out of pocket first.

The Part B deductible reset that Plans G and N are built around

Plans G and N are designed so that you pay the annual Part B deductible yourself, and then the plan picks up its share of what Medicare doesn't cover. That deductible is a single federal number that resets every January 1.

For 2027, the exact figure will be announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and posted on medicare.gov. If you already own a Plan G or Plan N, you do not need to do anything when the deductible resets — but it is helpful to know the number so you can plan your first doctor visits of the year.

Rate-adjustment season in Arizona

Medigap premiums are set by each private insurer, not by Medicare, and Arizona carriers file proposed rate changes with the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions. Filings typically happen throughout the year, and any change to your premium is disclosed to you in writing before it takes effect.

A few practical tips for Scottsdale shoppers:

• Read the renewal notice your carrier sends. It will state whether your premium is changing and by how much.
• Remember that Medigap uses different pricing methods (community-rated, issue-age-rated, and attained-age-rated). Two policies with the same letter can behave very differently as you age.
• You can compare quotes at any time, but leaving your Open Enrollment window or a guaranteed-issue situation means most carriers can medical-underwrite you.

To look up filings, visit difi.az.gov, or call your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), known in Arizona as SHIP/Arizona.

Carriers selling Medigap in Arizona

Scottsdale is in Maricopa County, where the Medigap market is served by the same insurers licensed statewide. The table below lists every insurer and the plan letters each one sells in Arizona. Whether a specific carrier is entering or leaving the state in 2027 is disclosed by the carrier and reflected in state filings; the current list, drawn from Medicare.gov's Medigap policy search and Arizona rate guides, is your starting point.

A few names to note for context: AARP - UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company and Humana (Humana Insurance Company) offer some of the broadest plan-letter menus in the state, while carriers like AFLAC, Mutual of Omaha (Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company) and Aetna Health and Life Insurance Company also sell in Arizona. Refer to the table for the full alphabetical roster and the specific letters each insurer offers.

How to decide what to do this season

If you already have a Medigap plan and are happy with it, you generally do not need to re-shop it every year — Medigap policies renew automatically as long as you pay the premium. That said, this is a good time to:

1. Check your renewal letter for any rate change. 2. Confirm which plan letter you have and whether it still fits your usage. 3. If you are newly eligible for Medicare, use your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts the month your Part B begins. During that window, you have guaranteed-issue rights. 4. Compare at least a few carriers offering the same letter, since benefits are identical but prices are not.

If you are unsure, the Arizona SHIP offers free, unbiased one-on-one counseling.