Medicare Supplement

Medigap Plan Letters Explained for Springdale Medicare

SPRINGDALE, Ark. — If you've spent any time reading about Medicare, you've probably run into a small alphabet: Plan A, Plan B, Plan D, Plan G, Plan N, and a few more. Those letters belong to Medicare Supplement insurance, better known as Medigap. And once you understand how the letters work, the whole system gets a lot less confusing.

Making Sense of Medigap in Springdale

Medigap is private insurance that works alongside Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). It helps pay some of the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare leaves behind — things like coinsurance, copayments, and hospital deductibles. It does not replace Medicare, and it does not include prescription drug coverage. For drugs, you'd add a separate Part D plan.

What the Letters Actually Mean

Here's the part that trips people up: the letters are not brand names. They are standardized benefit packages set by the federal government. That means Plan G from one insurance company covers the exact same core benefits as Plan G from another company. Same with Plan N, Plan K, and the rest.

What can differ between companies?

• The monthly premium
• Customer service and extras (like fitness perks)
• How the company handles rate increases over time

So when you compare Medigap plans, you're really comparing prices and companies for the same standardized coverage. Medicare.gov keeps a plain-language rundown of what each letter covers.

Which Letters Are Available

In most states, including Arkansas, ten Medigap plans are offered: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. There's an important wrinkle, though: if you became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, you generally can't buy Plans C or F. Those two paid the Part B deductible, and federal law closed them to newly eligible enrollees. If you were eligible before that date, you may still be able to enroll in them.

Plans G and N have become the most talked-about choices for newer enrollees, but "most talked about" isn't the same as "right for you." Your health, budget, and travel habits all matter.

Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage — Not the Same Thing

This is worth saying clearly: Medigap and Medicare Advantage (Part C) are two different roads. You pick one or the other.

• Medigap works with Original Medicare. You can generally see any provider in the country that accepts Medicare. You add a separate Part D drug plan if you want drug coverage.
• Medicare Advantage is an all-in-one alternative to Original Medicare, offered by private companies, usually with a provider network and often with drug coverage built in.

Springdale is in Washington County, where residents have access to a range of Medicare Advantage plans as well as standalone Part D drug plans and Medigap options from multiple insurers. Plan availability is set at the county level, not the city level, so what your neighbor across town sees is what you'll see too.

The Best Time to Buy Medigap

Timing matters more with Medigap than most people realize. Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a one-time, six-month window that starts the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurance companies must sell you any Medigap plan they offer at their best available rate, regardless of your health history.

Outside that window, in most states, insurers can use medical underwriting — meaning they can charge you more or turn you down based on health conditions. That's why the six-month window is such a big deal.

How Medigap Fits With Part D in 2026

Because Medigap doesn't cover prescriptions, most people pair it with a standalone Part D plan. A few 2026 program-level facts worth knowing:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 for 2026.
• The maximum Part D deductible is $615.
• The old coverage gap (the "donut hole") has been eliminated since 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs out over the calendar year in monthly installments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA surcharges — extra amounts higher earners pay for Part B and Part D — start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.