Medicare Supplement

Before you renew Medigap in Augusta: 2027 resets

AUGUSTA, Ga. — As the calendar turns toward 2027, Medigap shoppers in Richmond County are asking the same practical question: what is actually changing, and what stays the same? The short answer is that the standardized plan letters do not get reinvented every year, but a few moving parts — who can buy which plan, the Part B deductible that Plans G and N are built around, and the rate filings insurers submit each year — do reset on a predictable cycle. Here is what Augusta residents should keep an eye on this season.

Medicare SupplementAugusta, GA

The plan-letter rules for 2027

Medigap policies are standardized by letter across most of the country, and that framework carries into 2027 unchanged. People newly eligible for Medicare today can choose from Plans A, B, D, G, G-HD, K, L, M and N. Plans C and F are only available to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020 — that federal rule has not been rolled back and is not expected to change for the coming year.

That matters in Augusta because Plan G has become the go-to choice for people aging into Medicare who want the most comprehensive standardized coverage still open to new enrollees, and Plan N is the common alternative for people comfortable with a small office-visit copay. A high-deductible version of Plan G (Plan G-HD) is also on the menu from several carriers in Georgia.

The yearly Part B deductible reset

Plans G and N are built on top of the Part B deductible: you pay that deductible each calendar year before the Medigap benefits kick in the way you expect. Every January, that deductible resets. The exact figure for 2027 is set by CMS and published on medicare.gov each fall — check it there rather than relying on last year's number, because it changes annually.

For high-deductible Plan G, there is a separate plan deductible that also resets each January and is announced by CMS. If you carry an HD plan, note both figures when the new year begins.

Rate-adjustment season in Georgia

Medigap premiums are not set by Medicare. In Georgia, insurers file their rates with the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, and adjustments generally take effect on a schedule the insurer chooses — often the policy anniversary or January 1. If you get a renewal notice showing a change, that change reflects a filing, not a Medicare rule.

There are two practical things Augusta residents can do this season:

• Call your current insurer and ask what your renewal rate will be for the coming year.
• Compare it to what other Georgia-licensed carriers would charge you today for the same lettered plan. Because the benefits are standardized, a Plan G is a Plan G no matter whose name is on it.

Keep in mind that switching Medigap plans outside your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period usually means answering health questions (medical underwriting), and an insurer can decline you or charge more based on your health. Georgia does not have a broad "birthday rule" like some other states, so shop carefully before you cancel an existing policy.

Insurers selling Medigap in Georgia

The full roster of insurers currently offering Medigap in Georgia, along with the plan letters each one sells, is shown in the table below. Names on that list include AARP – UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, AFLAC, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield – Georgia, Mutual of Omaha (Omaha Supplemental Insurance Company), State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company and USAA Life Insurance Company, among others. Availability can shift when a carrier files to enter or exit the market, so if you are comparing during rate season, confirm on medicare.gov's Medigap policy search that the carrier still sells the letter you want in your ZIP code.

How to check before you commit

Before you sign anything, do three quick things:

• Look up the current plan letter and insurer on medicare.gov's Medigap policy search for your Augusta ZIP code.
• Ask the insurer, in writing, what your first-year premium is and how it is rated (issue-age, attained-age, or community-rated).
• Call Georgia's SHIP — the free GeorgiaCares counseling program — for a neutral second opinion.