Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Los Angeles: how California's standardized plan letters actually work

Los Angeles is in Los Angeles County, and if you have Original Medicare here, a Medicare Supplement policy — better known as Medigap — is one way to help with the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare leaves behind. The policies are federally standardized by letter, but the shopping experience is shaped by California rules. Here is what that means in plain language.

Medicare SupplementLos Angeles, CA

What "standardized letters" actually means

Medigap plans sold in California — and in 45 other states — follow federal standardization. That means Plan G from one insurer covers the exact same items as Plan G from another insurer. A Plan N is a Plan N. The benefits inside each letter are set by law.

What is not standardized is the price. Two insurers can sell an identical Plan G in Los Angeles and charge very different premiums. That is why comparison shopping matters.

(Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin use their own standardization systems, but those do not apply here.)

Which letters you can buy in California today

If you are newly eligible for Medicare, the plan letters available to you are:

• Plan A
• Plan B
• Plan D
• Plan G
• High-deductible Plan G
• Plan K
• Plan L
• Plan M
• Plan N

Plans C and F are still in force for people who kept them, but they are closed to anyone who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. That change came from federal law and applies nationwide.

Each letter offers a different mix of coverage — some pay nearly all of your Part A and Part B cost-sharing, others share costs with you in exchange for a lower premium. Medicare.gov has a side-by-side chart of what each letter includes.

How Medigap fits with Original Medicare and Part D

Medigap is designed to work alongside Original Medicare. Medicare pays first, and your Medigap policy fills in some or all of the coinsurance, copays, and deductibles that Original Medicare leaves for you.

A few things to know:

• Medigap does not work with Medicare Advantage. You cannot have both at the same time.
• Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage. If you want drug coverage, you enroll in a separate stand-alone Part D plan.
• In 2026, Part D has an annual out-of-pocket cap of $2,100 and a maximum deductible of $615. The old coverage gap ("donut hole") was eliminated in 2025, and Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly bills, if that helps with budgeting.
• IRMAA surcharges — extra amounts for Part B and Part D — start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

California rules that shape your choice

Federal law gives you a six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period that starts when you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers must sell you any Medigap policy they offer, at their best available rate for your age, without asking health questions.

California also has additional consumer protections that go beyond federal law, including rules around switching policies later in life. Because those rules can change and often depend on your specific situation, it is best to confirm current rights with the California Department of Insurance or your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), called HICAP in California.

Another California detail worth knowing: insurers can use different pricing methods (how your premium is set and how it may change as you age). Two policies with the same letter can be priced very differently over time depending on the method used. Ask any insurer to explain how its premium is calculated before you buy.

How to find the policies sold in Los Angeles

There is no single public roster of every Medigap insurer for Los Angeles County that we can reprint here. Instead, use these free tools:

• Medicare.gov Medigap policy search. Enter your ZIP code and you will see the letters and insurers available to you, along with contact information.
• California Department of Insurance Medigap rate guide. The state publishes a comparison guide showing premiums by insurer and plan letter.
• HICAP (California's SHIP). Trained counselors give free, unbiased help by phone and in person. They do not sell insurance.
• 1-800-MEDICARE. Available 24/7 for general Medicare questions.