Medicare Supplement

Before you renew Medigap in Orlando: 2026 changes

ORLANDO — As 2026 approaches, Medicare shoppers in Central Florida are asking a familiar question: what is really changing with Medigap, and what stays the same? The short answer is that the menu of standardized plan letters looks the same as last year, but the numbers those plans are built around — like the Part B deductible — reset every January, and Florida insurers file new rates on their own schedules. Here is what Orlando readers should keep an eye on this season.

Medicare SupplementOrlando, FL

The plan letters available to you in 2026

Medigap is standardized by the federal government, so a Plan G sold by one company covers the same core benefits as a Plan G sold by another. What changes between companies is price and service — not the benefits inside the letter.

If you are becoming eligible for Medicare in Orlando in 2026, these are the plan letters 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 remain available only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. That rule has not changed for 2026. If you already have a Plan C or F, you can keep it; you simply cannot start a new one if you became eligible later.

Why the Part B deductible reset matters

Every January, the Part B deductible resets to zero and then to whatever new annual amount Medicare has set for the year. This is the number Plans G and N are built around, because both require you to meet the Part B deductible before the Medigap policy starts paying its share of Part B costs.

Plan G, at that point, generally picks up the remaining Part B coinsurance. Plan N does the same but leaves you responsible for certain office and emergency-room copays. Neither plan covers the Part B deductible itself for people newly eligible after January 1, 2020 — that is federal law, not something an insurer chose.

For the current-year deductible figure, check medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Rate-adjustment season in Florida

Unlike Medicare Advantage and Part D, which follow a single national calendar, Medigap premiums in Florida can change at different times of the year depending on the insurer. Companies file proposed rates with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, and changes typically take effect on the policyholder's renewal date.

That means two neighbors in the same Orlando ZIP code, holding the same plan letter from the same company, could see rate changes months apart. If you receive a renewal notice showing a higher premium, it is worth doing two things:

1. Look up your insurer's filing on the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website. 2. Compare current premiums for the same plan letter at other companies using the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search.

Because the benefits inside a plan letter are standardized, a comparison is genuinely apples-to-apples on coverage.

Insurers entering or leaving Florida

Medigap carriers do come and go from the Florida market, and new companies occasionally begin selling here. We are not publishing a carrier list for Orlando in this article because that information changes throughout the year and is best pulled fresh from an official source.

The most reliable places to check who is currently selling Medigap in your area:

• Medicare.gov Medigap policy search — enter your Orlando ZIP code to see companies licensed to sell each plan letter locally.
• Florida Office of Insurance Regulation — publishes a Medigap rate guide and tracks filings.
• Florida SHINE (the state's SHIP program) — free, unbiased counseling for Medicare beneficiaries. Orange County residents can call to speak with a trained volunteer.

What Orange County shoppers should do before renewal

Orlando is in Orange County, where Medigap is regulated at the state level by Florida and at the program level by CMS. A few practical steps for this season:

• Read your annual notice from your Medigap insurer carefully. It will spell out any premium change and your renewal date.
• If you are still in your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period (the six months starting when you are both 65 and enrolled in Part B), you have guaranteed-issue rights — insurers cannot use medical underwriting to charge you more or turn you down. Outside that window, Florida generally allows underwriting.
• If you are considering switching plan letters or companies, ask about underwriting before you cancel anything.