Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Sacramento for 2026: plan letters, the Part B reset, and how to check new rates

SACRAMENTO — If you are shopping a Medicare Supplement policy in Sacramento this season, a few things are worth understanding before you sign anything. The menu of standardized Medigap "letter" plans has not changed, but who can buy which letter still depends on when you first became eligible for Medicare. Meanwhile, the Part B deductible — the figure Plans G and N are built around — resets every January, and insurers file new rates with California regulators on their own schedules. Here is a plain-English guide for Sacramento County readers.

Which Medigap letters you can buy in 2026

Medigap plans sold in California are standardized by letter, which means a Plan G from one insurer covers the same core benefits as a Plan G from another. What changes between insurers is price, customer service, and — in some cases — extras.

If you are newly eligible for Medicare today, these letters are available to you: A, B, D, G, G-HD, K, L, M, and N. Plans C and F remain available only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, because both plans cover the Part B deductible and federal law closed them to newer enrollees.

This eligibility rule is not changing for 2026. If you are turning 65 in Sacramento next year, Plan G and Plan N are typically the two "full" letters people compare, along with the high-deductible version of G (listed as G-HD).

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

Plans G and N both leave the annual Part B deductible for you to pay. Once you meet it, Plan G picks up the Part B coinsurance in full; Plan N does the same, with small copays for some office and emergency room visits.

That deductible resets every January 1. CMS announces the new figure each fall. Before you compare quotes for 2026, look up the current Part B deductible on medicare.gov so you know what you would owe out-of-pocket before your Medigap coverage kicks in.

Rate-adjustment season in California

Medigap premiums are not set by Medicare. In California, insurers file proposed rates with the California Department of Insurance, and those filings happen throughout the year — not on a single date. That means two Sacramento residents shopping the same letter plan a few months apart can see different numbers, even from the same insurer.

Two practical steps:

1. Use the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search. Enter your ZIP code and it will list every insurer offering each letter plan in your area, along with contact information. 2. Check the California Department of Insurance Medigap rate guide. The state publishes comparison information for policies sold in California and updates it as filings are approved.

Because we cannot show insurer-specific prices here, those two tools are the reliable places to see what is being charged in Sacramento right now.

Insurers entering or leaving California

Insurer participation in the California Medigap market can shift from year to year. No confirmed list of Sacramento-area entries or exits has been provided for this article, so rather than guess, the safest approach is to pull a fresh list from the Medicare.gov policy search using your ZIP code before you buy. If a company you had in mind no longer appears, that is your signal to ask why — and to compare the letter plan itself rather than the brand.

California's birthday rule and other switching protections

California is one of a small number of states with a "birthday rule" for Medigap. In short, each year around your birthday you have a limited window to switch to an equal or lesser Medigap plan with another insurer without new medical underwriting. This rule is not new for 2026, but many Sacramento residents do not know it exists. Confirm the exact window and eligibility with your SHIP counselor or the California Department of Insurance before you apply, since the specifics matter.

Outside a guaranteed-issue window, insurers in California can generally use medical underwriting to accept or price a Medigap application. That is the single biggest reason to plan a switch carefully rather than cancel one policy before another is approved.

How this fits with the rest of Medicare in 2026

Medigap is separate from Part D drug coverage, but a few 2026 program-level numbers are worth knowing while you plan:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 for 2026.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615.
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") was eliminated in 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly amounts.
• IRMAA income-related surcharges begin above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.
• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7. Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31. (Medigap has its own enrollment rules and is not tied to these windows.)