Medicare Supplement

What's changing for Medigap in San Bernardino for 2027: plan letters, Part B reset and rate filings

SAN BERNARDINO — As 2027 approaches, Medigap shoppers in San Bernardino are watching a familiar set of moving parts: which standardized plan letters they're allowed to buy, the yearly reset of the Part B deductible that Plans G and N are built around, the rate filings insurers submit to California regulators each year, and any carriers coming into or leaving the state's market.

Medicare SupplementSan Bernardino, CA

None of these are dramatic overnight changes. But together they shape what a Medigap policy will look like — and cost — for people turning 65 here, and for those who already own a plan and want to know if they should shop again.

Which plan letters you can actually buy

San Bernardino is in San Bernardino County, but Medigap is regulated at the state level, so the plan letters available here are the same as anywhere else in California.

If you are newly eligible for Medicare today, you can choose from Plans A, B, D, G, high-deductible G, K, L, M, and N. Plans C and F are closed to newcomers — they remain available only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. That rule has been in place since the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) took effect, and it is not changing for 2027.

The table below lists every carrier selling Medigap in California along with the plan letters each one offers.

The Part B deductible reset — and why Plans G and N care

Plans G and N are the two letters most new enrollees look at, and both are designed to pay after you meet the Part B deductible. Medicare resets that deductible every January. The 2027 figure will be announced by CMS later this year; when it changes, the amount you pay out of pocket before your Plan G or N kicks in changes with it.

This is not a "cut" or a "benefit change" — it is how these plans have always been structured. But it is worth knowing at renewal time, because a small shift in the deductible can influence how a plan feels in practice, especially for people who use Part B services often.

High-deductible Plan G works the same way but with a much larger deductible set by Medicare each year.

Rate-filing season in California

Medigap premiums are not set by Medicare. Each insurer files its proposed rates with the California Department of Insurance, and those filings are public. Rates can vary by carrier, by age, by ZIP code, and by whether the insurer uses attained-age, issue-age, or community rating.

For 2027, the ordinary cycle applies: carriers file, the state reviews, and new rates take effect on the schedule shown in each filing. If you already own a policy, your renewal notice will spell out any change. If you are shopping, comparing two carriers on the same plan letter — say, Plan G against Plan G — is the cleanest way to see price differences, because the federal benefits are identical by law.

You can look up filings at insurance.ca.gov, and California publishes a Medicare Supplement rate guide that lists premiums by carrier and age.

Carriers entering or leaving

Nothing in the data provided indicates a California-wide carrier exit or new entrant tied specifically to 2027. The Medigap insurers currently authorized to sell in the state are listed in the table on this page and include familiar names such as AARP - UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Anthem BlueCross - California, Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Company, Humana (Humana Insurance Company), and Mutual of Omaha (United World Life Insurance Company), among others.

If a carrier decides to stop selling a particular plan letter to new applicants, existing policyholders are generally allowed to keep their coverage — but that is a question to confirm directly with the insurer or with HICAP.

When you can switch, and when medical underwriting kicks in

Unlike Medicare Advantage and Part D, Medigap does not have an annual enrollment window. Your strongest protection is your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers cannot turn you down or charge more for health reasons.

Outside that window, California offers a "birthday rule" that lets Medigap policyholders switch to a plan with equal or lesser benefits from any carrier within 60 days following their birthday each year, without medical underwriting. That rule is not new for 2027, but it is easy to miss — and it is one of the more consumer-friendly Medigap rules in the country.

Any switch outside of a protected period generally means answering health questions, and the insurer can decline.