Medicare Supplement

Which Medigap Letters Can Honolulu Buyers Still Purchase?

HONOLULU — If you have a Medigap policy in Hawaii, or you are shopping for one this fall, a few moving parts are worth understanding before the calendar flips to 2026. The plan letters you can buy are set by federal rule, the Part B deductible that Plans G and N are built around resets every January, and insurers file their new rates with the state — which means the premium you see in December may not be the premium you pay all year.

Here is a plain-English look at what is changing, what is staying the same, and where to check the numbers that apply to you.

The plan letters you can actually buy in Hawaii

Medigap plans are standardized by the federal government, which means a Plan G sold by one company covers the same core benefits as a Plan G sold by another. What differs between carriers is the price and the customer service — not the benefits inside the letter.

For people newly eligible for Medicare today, the available letters in Hawaii are A, B, D, G, G-HD (a high-deductible version of G), K, L, M, and N. Plans C and F remain on the books only for people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, because those two plans covered the Part B deductible and federal law closed them to newer enrollees.

If you are turning 65 in 2026 or coming off employer coverage, that is your menu.

The Part B deductible resets every January — and it matters for G and N

Plans G and N are built on top of the Part B deductible. That means you pay the Part B deductible out of pocket each year before the Medigap plan starts picking up its share of Part B coinsurance. The federal government announces the new Part B deductible each fall, and it resets on January 1.

Two practical points:

• The dollar amount changes annually. Do not assume this year's number carries over — check medicare.gov for the 2026 figure once it is posted.
• The high-deductible Plan G (G-HD) uses a separate, much larger federal deductible that also resets in January.

If you are comparing Plan G to Plan N, remember that Plan N can also involve copays for some office and emergency room visits, and it does not cover Part B excess charges. Those are structural differences, not carrier differences.

Rate-adjustment season: how Hawaii premiums get set

Even though the benefits inside each plan letter are federally standardized, the premium is not. Each insurer files its Medigap rates with the Hawaii Insurance Division, and rates can change from one plan year to the next based on claims experience, age, and the pricing method the company uses (issue-age, attained-age, or community-rated).

Two things to know as we head into 2026:

• A rate change on your current policy does not automatically mean you should switch. Outside your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period (the six months starting when you are 65 and enrolled in Part B), insurers in most states can medically underwrite you if you apply for a new policy — meaning they can ask health questions and decline coverage or charge more.
• To see current filings and approved rates in Hawaii, check the Hawaii Insurance Division's Medigap rate guide, use the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search by ZIP code, or call the Hawaii SHIP (Sage PLUS) for free, unbiased help.

Insurers entering or leaving the state

Medigap carrier participation in Hawaii is not something we can list from a public CMS roster the way we can for Medicare Advantage. The most reliable way to see which companies are currently selling Medigap in Honolulu — including any new entrants or exits for the 2026 plan year — is to run your ZIP code through the Medigap policy search on medicare.gov. That tool pulls the companies licensed to sell each plan letter in your area, along with the premium ranges they have filed.

If a company stops offering new policies to Hawaii residents, that does not mean existing policyholders lose coverage. Medigap policies are guaranteed renewable as long as you pay the premium.

How this fits with the rest of your 2026 Medicare picture

Medigap sits alongside Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and works with a standalone Part D drug plan. A few 2026 facts worth keeping in mind, even though they are not Medigap rules:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026, and the Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") was eliminated in 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly amounts.
• IRMAA surcharges for higher-income enrollees begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.
• The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15–December 7, and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs January 1–March 31. Those windows govern Part D and Medicare Advantage — not Medigap.