Medicare Supplement

Before you pick a Medigap plan in Glendale, know these rules

Glendale is in Los Angeles County, where residents on Original Medicare have the same set of Medigap options as everyone else in California. A Medigap policy — also called Medicare Supplement Insurance — helps pay some of the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare leaves behind, like coinsurance and hospital costs after Part A benefits run out.

What Medigap is, and what it isn't

A Medigap plan is not Medicare Advantage. You cannot have both at the same time. Medigap sits alongside Original Medicare, and it does not include prescription drug coverage. For drugs, you add a separate Part D plan.

The standardized letters you can buy in California

Medigap plans are standardized by the federal government. That means Plan G from one insurer covers the same core benefits as Plan G from another insurer. (Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin use different standardization systems — California follows the federal letters.)

If you are newly eligible for Medicare today, these are the letters available in California:

• Plans A, B, D, G, high-deductible G, K, L, M and N.

Plans C and F are still sold, but only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. That change came from federal law, not a California rule.

Each letter offers a different mix of benefits. Some — like Plan G — cover most gaps in Original Medicare after you meet the Part B deductible. Others, like K and L, share costs with you up to a yearly limit. Plan N has small copays for some office visits and emergency room trips. The high-deductible version of Plan G has lower monthly costs in exchange for a higher yearly deductible before benefits kick in.

Medicare.gov's Medigap policy search shows the exact benefit chart side by side, and it's the best starting place before you talk to any insurer.

The insurers licensed to sell Medigap in California

The table below lists every insurer selling Medigap in California and the letters each one offers. Because the benefits inside any given letter are identical across companies, the shopping question is not "which insurer has the best Plan G?" — it's which company's version fits your budget, your health history and the way you like to do business.

A few names on the list, in alphabetical order, will be familiar to Glendale readers: AARP - UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Anthem BlueCross - California, Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Company, Humana (Humana Insurance Company), Mutual of Omaha (United World Life Insurance Company) and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company all sell in the state. The full roster is below.

We don't quote premiums here. Rates vary by age, ZIP code, tobacco use and the insurer's own pricing method, and they change over time. The California Department of Insurance publishes a Medicare Supplement rate guide that shows current premium ranges by company.

How Medigap pairs with Part D in 2026

If you go the Original Medicare + Medigap route, you will almost always want a stand-alone Part D plan for prescription drugs. A few 2026 facts worth knowing:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100. Once your covered drug costs hit that number, you pay $0 for covered drugs for the rest of the year.
• The maximum Part D deductible is $615. Plans can charge less, but not more.
• 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 across monthly payments instead of paying the full amount at the pharmacy counter. It's optional and free to join.
• If your income is above $109,000 (single filer, 2026), an IRMAA surcharge is added to your Part B and Part D premiums.

California rules that shape your choice

Federal law gives you a Medigap Open Enrollment Period — six months starting when you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B — during which insurers cannot turn you down or charge you more for health reasons. That's true nationwide.

California adds a "birthday rule" on top of that. In short, current Medigap policyholders get a yearly window tied to their birthday to switch to another Medigap plan of equal or lesser benefits without going through medical underwriting. The exact window and eligibility rules have been updated in recent years, so verify the current rules before you act.

For personalized help, California's SHIP is called HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program). Counselors are trained, unbiased and free.

Key dates to keep in mind

Medigap enrollment is not tied to the fall Annual Enrollment Period, but the AEP still matters if you're pairing Medigap with Part D:

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7 — this is when you can join, drop or switch a Part D drug plan.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31 — this is for people already in an Advantage plan; it does not apply to Medigap.