Medicare Supplement

Is Plan G the Same at Every Augusta Insurer?

Augusta, Ga. — If you are shopping for a Medicare Supplement policy in the Garden City, the first thing to know is that you are not really choosing between dozens of different plans. You are choosing a letter — and every insurer that sells that letter has to cover the same federally standardized benefits. What changes from carrier to carrier is the price, the customer service, and sometimes the underwriting questions. Here is how that works in Georgia, and how Medigap fits with the rest of your Medicare.

Medicare SupplementAugusta, GA

What "standardized" really means

Medigap policies in Georgia — and in 47 other states — follow a federal template. That means Plan G is Plan G no matter whose name is on the envelope. The benefits inside the letter cannot be changed by the insurance company. (Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin use their own systems, but Georgia does not.)

So when you compare policies in Richmond County, you are really doing two things at once: picking the letter that matches how you want to share costs with Medicare, and then picking the insurer selling that letter. The table below lists every insurer currently selling Medigap in Georgia and which letters each one offers.

The letters you can still buy

If you became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, your choices are Plans A, B, D, G, high-deductible G, K, L, M and N. Plans C and F — which paid the Part B deductible — were closed to newly eligible people by federal law. If you were eligible before that date, you can still buy or keep C or F.

A quick tour of the most common letters:

• Plan G covers almost every gap in Original Medicare except the annual Part B deductible.
• High-deductible Plan G has lower monthly premiums but you pay costs yourself until you meet the deductible.
• Plan N has generally lower premiums than G but leaves you with some copays for office and ER visits, plus any Part B excess charges.
• Plans K and L cap your out-of-pocket costs but only pay a percentage of certain services.

Which letter fits depends on how you want your costs to feel month to month — steady premium versus pay-as-you-go — not on which insurer you pick.

How Medigap fits with the rest of Medicare

Medigap only works alongside Original Medicare (Part A hospital and Part B medical). It pays after Medicare pays. You cannot use a Medigap policy with a Medicare Advantage plan.

Medigap also does not cover prescription drugs. If you go the Medigap route, you will usually also enroll in a stand-alone Part D drug plan. A few Part D facts to keep in mind for 2026:

• The out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs is $2,100.
• The maximum Part D deductible is $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025 — there are now three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments if you want.
• IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D premiums start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Who sells Medigap in Georgia

Georgia has a long list of licensed Medigap insurers, and they all serve Augusta. Availability of specific letters differs by company. For example, some insurers — like AARP – UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company and United American Insurance Company — offer a wider set of letters, while others such as AFLAC or USAA Life Insurance Company sell a shorter menu focused on the most popular letters.

Rather than list every combination in prose, see the full table below. The important shopping rule: once you pick a letter, compare the same letter across insurers. A Plan G from one company covers the same things as a Plan G from another; what differs is price and service.

The Georgia rules that shape your choice

Two federal rules matter most:

1. Medigap Open Enrollment. You get one 6-month window that starts the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During this window, insurers must sell you any Medigap policy they offer at their best available rate, regardless of your health. 2. Guaranteed issue rights. Outside that window, federal law still requires insurers to sell you certain policies in specific situations — for example, if your employer coverage ends or your Medicare Advantage plan leaves your area.

Georgia does not have a statewide "birthday rule" like California or Oregon, so once your open enrollment window closes, switching Medigap policies here generally means going through medical underwriting. For your specific rights, the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner and Georgia's SHIP program (GeorgiaCares) can walk you through the details for free.

When you can make changes

• Medigap Open Enrollment: the 6 months starting when you are 65 and on Part B.
• Medicare Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7, for Part D and Medicare Advantage changes.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31, if you are currently in an Advantage plan.

Medigap itself does not have an annual enrollment window — you can apply anytime, but outside of protected periods, insurers can ask health questions.