Medicare Supplement

Which Medigap plan letters can a Long Beach resident actually buy today?

If you live in Long Beach and are shopping for a Medicare Supplement policy — better known as Medigap — the first thing to understand is that you are not choosing from a free-for-all of coverage designs. Medigap policies are standardized by federal law and labeled with letters, and the letter tells you what the plan covers. The insurer's name on the front does not change that.

Medicare SupplementLong Beach, CA

Long Beach is in Los Angeles County, and California follows the federal standardized Medigap letters that most states use. Here is what that means in plain terms.

The plan letters available in California

If you are new to Medicare in 2026, these are the Medigap letters you can buy in California: A, B, D, G, high-deductible G, K, L, M, and N.

Plans C and F are still in force for people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, but they are closed to anyone who became eligible after that date. This is a federal rule, not a California one.

Each letter is a fixed benefit package. A Plan G from one insurer covers the same Medicare-approved costs as a Plan G from another. What differs between insurers is the monthly premium and how that premium changes over time.

How Medigap fits with the rest of Medicare

Medigap is built to sit next to Original Medicare. It helps pay some of the out-of-pocket costs Part A and Part B leave behind — things like coinsurance and, depending on the letter, the Part A deductible.

A few points worth being clear about:

• Medigap only works with Original Medicare. You cannot use a Medigap policy with a Medicare Advantage plan.
• Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage. If you want drug coverage, you enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan. In 2026, Part D has a $2,100 out-of-pocket cap and a maximum deductible of $615, and the old "donut hole" is gone — the program now runs in three phases. There is also an optional Medicare Prescription Payment Plan that lets you spread drug costs across the year.
• IRMAA — the income-related surcharge — can add to your Part B and Part D premiums if your income is above $109,000 as a single filer in 2026. Medigap premiums are separate and set by the insurer.

The state rules that shape your choice

Federal law gives you a six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period that starts the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers cannot turn you down or charge more because of your health.

Outside that window, California has additional protections that go beyond the federal floor, including rules about switching policies around your birthday. Because these state rights change from time to time and depend on your exact situation, the safest move is to confirm current rules with the California Department of Insurance or your California SHIP (HICAP) counselor before you switch.

How to compare the insurers selling in Long Beach

Because the benefits inside a letter are fixed, comparing Medigap really comes down to price and how the insurer raises prices over time. Insurers use one of three pricing methods — community-rated, issue-age-rated, or attained-age-rated — and the method affects how your premium may change as you get older. Ask each insurer which method they use before you sign.

To see which companies sell which letters in your ZIP code:

1. Use the Medigap policy search on Medicare.gov — enter your Long Beach ZIP code to pull up the insurers licensed to sell there. 2. Check the California Department of Insurance Medigap rate guide, which lists premium ranges by company. 3. Call HICAP, California's SHIP, for free one-on-one counseling.

Pairing Medigap with a Part D plan

If you go the Medigap route, plan on choosing a stand-alone Part D drug plan at the same time. Part D has its own enrollment rules, and going without creditable drug coverage can lead to a lifelong late-enrollment penalty.

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7 every year — that is the main window to pick or change a Part D plan. Medigap itself does not follow that calendar; you can apply for a Medigap policy any time, but outside your protected windows the insurer can consider your health.