Medicare Supplement

Medigap letters explained for Leavenworth Medicare shoppers

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — If you have been shopping for a Medicare Supplement policy, you have probably noticed something odd: the plans are labeled with letters like A, G and N. That is not marketing shorthand. Those letters are set by federal law, and they mean the same thing no matter which insurance company sells the plan.

Here in Leavenworth, where many residents are weighing how to fill the gaps in Original Medicare, understanding those letters is one of the most useful things you can do before you talk to any agent or carrier.

What Medigap actually does

Medicare Supplement insurance, often called Medigap, is a private policy that pays some of the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare leaves behind. That can include the Part A hospital deductible, coinsurance for hospital stays, and the 20% coinsurance you typically owe under Part B for doctor visits and outpatient care.

Medigap does not replace Medicare. It rides alongside it. Medicare pays its share first, and then your Medigap plan pays some or all of what is left, depending on which lettered plan you chose.

One important note: Medigap is different from Medicare Advantage (Part C). You cannot use both at the same time. If you have Medicare Advantage, a Medigap policy will not pay your cost-sharing.

Why the letters exist

Before standardization, Medigap plans could be confusing and hard to compare. Today, in most states — including Kansas — Medigap policies come in 10 standardized versions: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M and N. (Plans C and F are only available to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.)

Because the benefits inside each lettered plan are set by federal rules, the coverage in a Plan G is a Plan G, period. What can differ between insurance companies is the premium, customer service, and how they handle rate increases over time. That is why comparing prices for the same letter is the fairest apples-to-apples check.

What each letter generally covers

Every standardized Medigap plan covers a core set of benefits, including Part A hospital coinsurance and an extra 365 days of hospital coverage after Medicare benefits are used up. From there, the letters differ in how much of the other gaps they fill — such as skilled nursing coinsurance, the Part A deductible, foreign travel emergency care, and (for older enrollees) the Part B deductible.

Plans K and L are cost-sharing versions with lower premiums but an annual out-of-pocket limit before they pay 100%. Plan N uses small copays for some office and emergency visits. Medicare.gov publishes a full benefit chart that shows exactly which boxes each letter checks.

When to buy — the timing matters

The most consumer-friendly time to buy Medigap is during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period: a one-time, six-month window that starts the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers in Kansas cannot deny you a policy or charge you more because of your health history.

Outside that window, in most cases, carriers can use medical underwriting. That means health questions, and possibly a higher price or a denial. If you are approaching 65 in Leavenworth County, mark that six-month window on your calendar.

Medigap and drug coverage

Medigap policies sold today do not include prescription drug coverage. If you want help paying for medications, you would enroll in a stand-alone Medicare Part D plan.

A quick 2026 reminder on Part D, since it often comes up in the same conversation: the annual out-of-pocket cap for covered drugs is $2,100, the maximum Part D deductible is $615, and the old coverage gap (the "donut hole") is gone as of 2025. Medicare also offers the optional Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly amounts.

Where Leavenworth fits in

Leavenworth is in Leavenworth County, and Medicare plan availability — including Medicare Advantage and Part D — is set at the county level. Medigap works a little differently: because the letters are standardized statewide, the plan options you see are shaped by Kansas rules and by which carriers are licensed to sell here, not by your ZIP code alone.

That is actually good news for shoppers. It means a neighbor in Lansing or Tonganoxie is comparing the exact same lettered plans you are.