Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Aurora for 2027: the rules, the reset, and what to check before you switch

AURORA, Ill. — As 2027 approaches, Medigap shoppers in Kane County are not facing a dramatic overhaul, but a handful of moving pieces are worth watching: which standardized plan letters you're actually allowed to buy, the yearly reset of the Part B deductible that shapes how Plans G and N work, and the rate filings insurers send to the Illinois Department of Insurance each year. Add in the normal churn of carriers entering or leaving the state, and there's plenty to review before you sign anything.

Medicare SupplementAurora, IL

Here's a plain-English guide to what's changing, what isn't, and how to make a calm decision.

What's actually changing for 2027

Medigap itself is federally standardized, so the plan letters — A, B, D, G, high-deductible G, K, L, M and N for people newly eligible today — don't change from year to year. What changes are the numbers plugged into them and the companies offering them.

Three things move on a yearly cycle:

• The Part B deductible resets every January. Plan G covers it after you pay it; Plan N works alongside it. When the deductible number shifts, so does the amount you handle before your Medigap kicks in on Part B services.
• Insurers refile rates with the state. Illinois reviews Medigap premium filings through its Department of Insurance, and premiums for the same lettered plan can differ from carrier to carrier even though the benefits are identical.
• Carriers enter and leave. Illinois has a long roster of licensed Medigap insurers (see the table below), and the list can shift year to year as companies add or drop plan letters.

The plan-letter rules haven't changed — but they still trip people up

The rule that matters most for anyone shopping today: Plans C and F are closed to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. If that's you, they're simply not available, no matter which insurer's brochure you're holding.

For newly eligible Aurora residents, the practical menu is A, B, D, G, high-deductible G, K, L, M and N. Plans G and N remain the two most widely sold letters and are what most Illinois carriers lead with — you can see that pattern clearly in the table below, where nearly every insurer offers G and N.

If you were eligible before 2020 and already have Plan C or F, you can keep it. You may also still be able to switch into it, though pricing behavior can change as those risk pools age.

The Part B deductible reset: why Plan G and Plan N shoppers should care

Plan G pays almost everything Original Medicare doesn't, except the Part B deductible. Plan N works similarly, with some office-visit and emergency-room copays and the same Part B deductible responsibility.

That deductible is a federal number that resets every January 1. CMS publishes the new figure late in the prior year. Because Plans G and N are built around it, the reset quietly changes your first out-of-pocket experience each year — not your monthly premium, but the amount you'll pay before your Medigap starts handling Part B coinsurance.

To confirm the 2027 amount when it's released, check medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Rate-adjustment season in Illinois: how to check before you renew

Unlike Medicare Advantage and Part D, Medigap doesn't have an annual "switch window" tied to October–December. You can apply to change Medigap plans any time — but outside your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period (the six months starting when you're 65 and enrolled in Part B), insurers in Illinois can generally use medical underwriting.

What does happen every year is a rate cycle:

1. Insurers file proposed Medigap rates with the Illinois Department of Insurance. 2. The state reviews them. 3. Renewal notices go out to policyholders.

If your renewal shows a bigger jump than you expected, you have options — but they depend on your health history and the underwriting rules of any new carrier. This is exactly the kind of question your local SHIP counselor is trained to walk through with you at no cost.

Carriers entering or leaving: read the table, not the ads

Illinois has one of the fuller Medigap markets in the country. The table below this article lists every insurer currently offering Medigap in the state and which plan letters each one sells — from AARP - UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company through WoodmenLife.

A few things to notice as you scan it:

• Almost every carrier sells Plan G and Plan N.
• High-deductible Plan G is offered by a subset of carriers, including Aetna Health Insurance Company, Atlantic Capital Life Assurance Company, BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois and Mutual of Omaha (Omaha Insurance Company), among others.
• A handful of carriers — such as New Era Life Insurance Company of the Midwest, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company and United American Insurance Company — still list Plans C or D, which matter mainly to people eligible before 2020.

Because Aurora is in Kane County, but Medigap is regulated at the state level, availability here mirrors the Illinois-wide list. If a carrier appears in the table, it's licensed to sell to you; if it doesn't, it isn't.

How to decide, calmly

A useful order of operations for 2027:

1. Confirm your eligibility category — before or after January 1, 2020. 2. Decide which plan letter fits your comfort with cost-sharing. Plan G and Plan N are the two most common starting points for newly eligible shoppers. 3. Compare premiums across carriers for the same letter. The benefits are identical by federal law; the price is not. 4. Check the Illinois Department of Insurance rate guide or filings before renewing. 5. If you're considering switching after your initial six-month open enrollment window, ask about underwriting first.