Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Jacksonville for 2026: the rule changes and rate season Duval County shoppers should watch

JACKSONVILLE — If you have a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy in Duval County, or you're thinking about buying one, a handful of moving parts are worth knowing about before the calendar flips to 2026. Some are federal rules that reset every January. Others are state-level filings that decide what you'll actually pay. Here is a plain-English snapshot for Jacksonville readers.

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What's actually changing for 2026

Medigap itself is a standardized product — a Plan G is a Plan G no matter who sells it. What changes from year to year is usually one of three things:

1. The Part B deductible resets. Plans G and N pay your costs after you meet the Part B deductible. When Medicare publishes the new deductible each fall, that number becomes the amount you're responsible for before your Medigap kicks in. 2. Insurers refile their rates. Carriers can adjust premiums, usually once a year, and those filings go through Florida's insurance regulator. 3. Insurers enter or leave the state. Companies occasionally start selling Medigap in Florida or stop taking new applicants. That doesn't cancel existing policies, but it can change your options if you're shopping.

Which plan letters you can buy in Jacksonville

Florida follows the federal standardization rules. If you're newly eligible for Medicare today, you can choose from:

• Plan A
• Plan B
• Plan D
• Plan G
• Plan G High-Deductible (G-HD)
• Plan K
• Plan L
• Plan M
• Plan N

Plans C and F are only available to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. If that's you, you can still keep or buy those plans, but they are closed to newer enrollees. This isn't a 2026 change — it's the ongoing effect of a rule that took effect several years ago and continues to shape the market.

The Part B deductible: why it matters for Plans G and N

Plan G and Plan N are the two letters most people shop today, and both are designed around the Part B deductible. You pay that deductible out of pocket at the start of each calendar year; your Medigap policy handles the covered costs that follow (Plan N also has small copays for some office and emergency-room visits).

Because the deductible resets every January, the first doctor visit of the year often feels different from the rest. Medicare posts the new figure on medicare.gov each fall — that's the number to check before you plan any January appointments.

Plan G High-Deductible works the same way but with a much larger yearly deductible before benefits begin. It's a different tradeoff: lower premium, higher upfront costs if you use care.

Rate-adjustment season in Florida

Medigap premiums in Florida are not set by Medicare. Each insurer files its rates with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, and those filings are public. Two things are worth knowing:

• A rate change on your policy doesn't mean the plan letter changed. Your benefits are the same; the premium is what moved.
• Florida uses "attained-age" pricing more often than some other states, meaning premiums can rise as you get older in addition to any across-the-board rate adjustment. Check your renewal notice carefully.

If you want to compare, the state publishes a Medigap rate guide, and the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search lets you enter your Jacksonville ZIP code to see which companies currently sell each plan letter in Duval County.

Insurers entering or leaving Florida

We don't have a state-specific list of Medigap carriers to publish here, and Medigap availability isn't reported the same way Medicare Advantage plans are. The reliable way to see who is selling — and who has stopped taking new Jacksonville applicants — is:

• Medicare.gov Medigap policy search — enter your ZIP and pick a plan letter.
• Florida SHINE (the state's free SHIP counselors) — 1-800-963-5337.
• Florida Office of Insurance Regulation — for rate filings and licensed carriers.

When you can switch, and when you can't

This trips up a lot of Jacksonville readers: Medigap does not follow the October 15–December 7 Annual Enrollment Period. That window is for Medicare Advantage and Part D.

For Medigap, your strongest protection is your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts the month your Part B begins at age 65 or older. During that window, insurers can't turn you down or charge more because of your health. Outside it, Florida generally allows medical underwriting, so approval isn't guaranteed. Certain guaranteed-issue situations (like losing other coverage) still apply — SHINE can help you figure out if one fits your case.