Medicare Supplement

Before you renew your Tucson Medigap policy for 2027

Tucson, Ariz. — If you have a Medigap policy in Tucson, or you're thinking about buying one for 2027, a handful of moving parts are worth watching this fall: which standardized plan letters you're allowed to buy, the yearly reset of the Part B deductible that shapes Plans G and N, the rate filings insurers make with Arizona regulators, and whether any carriers are entering or leaving the state. None of these are dramatic on their own, but together they decide what your options and your monthly premium look like next year.

Which plan letters you can actually buy

Medigap plans are standardized by letter across most of the country, including Arizona. That means a Plan G from one insurer covers the same core benefits as a Plan G from another — the difference is price and service, not the coverage on paper.

If you're newly eligible for Medicare, the plan letters available to you are A, B, D, G, G-HD (high-deductible G), K, L, M and N. Plans C and F, which once covered the Part B deductible, are closed to anyone who became eligible for Medicare on or after Jan. 1, 2020. If you were eligible before that date, you can generally still buy or keep C or F, though your pool of options may be smaller.

This eligibility rule is not new for 2027, but it continues to shape the market: because C and F are closed to newer enrollees, Plan G and Plan N have become the letters most first-time buyers compare.

The Part B deductible reset — why it matters for G and N

Plans G and N are both designed around the Part B deductible. Plan G covers almost everything Original Medicare leaves behind except that deductible; you pay it once a year, and the plan takes over from there. Plan N works similarly, with some office-visit and emergency-room copays.

Every January, that deductible resets. CMS announces the new figure for 2027 before the year begins, and it applies to everyone on Original Medicare — Medigap or not. If you have Plan G or N, the reset is simply the point at which your out-of-pocket year starts over. It's worth knowing the number so a January or February doctor bill doesn't surprise you.

For the high-deductible version of Plan G, the deductible you must meet before the plan pays is set separately by CMS and also updates yearly.

Rate-adjustment season in Arizona

Medigap premiums are not fixed for life. In Arizona, insurers file proposed rate changes with the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI), and those filings are public. A rate change usually takes effect on your policy anniversary or at the start of a plan year, depending on how the insurer prices its book.

Two things to keep in mind:

• A rate increase on your current policy does not automatically mean you're stuck. In Arizona you can apply for a different Medigap policy at any time, but outside of your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period (the six months starting when you're 65 and enrolled in Part B) and a few guaranteed-issue situations, insurers can use medical underwriting. That means they can ask health questions and decide whether to accept you.
• Same letter, different price. Because plans are standardized, comparing Plan G to Plan G — or N to N — across insurers is a fair apples-to-apples exercise on benefits. Price and customer service are where they differ.

DIFI's rate guide and the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search are the two places to check current numbers for your ZIP code.

Carriers entering or leaving the state

Unlike Medicare Advantage, where CMS publishes a plan roster each fall, Medigap carrier changes in Arizona happen quietly and on the insurer's timetable. A company may stop selling new policies to Arizonans, add new plan letters, or leave the state entirely. If your current insurer stops writing new business, that generally does not cancel your existing policy — but it can affect future rate behavior in that closed block.

Because we don't have a state-level insurer list to publish here, the most reliable way to see who is currently selling Medigap in Tucson is:

1. The Medicare.gov Medigap policy search, which lets you enter a Tucson ZIP code and see participating insurers and the plan letters they offer. 2. The Arizona DIFI Medigap rate guide, which lists filed premiums. 3. Arizona SHIP, the state's free counseling program, which can walk you through options without selling anything.

How Tucson fits in

Tucson is in Pima County, and Medigap availability in Arizona is largely statewide — the same plan letters and standardization rules apply whether you live in Tucson, Phoenix or a rural county. What can differ by ZIP code is which insurers actively market there and the premium they charge for a given letter. That's why entering your own ZIP code, rather than relying on a statewide average, is the step that matters.

A quick note on the rest of Medicare in 2026–2027

Medigap sits alongside Original Medicare, so a few program-wide numbers are worth knowing as you plan:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026, with a maximum Part D deductible of $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments.
• IRMAA surcharges for higher-income enrollees begin above $109,000 (single filer, 2026).
• Annual Enrollment Period: Oct. 15 – Dec. 7. Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: Jan. 1 – March 31. These windows are for Part D and Medicare Advantage — Medigap has its own separate enrollment rules.