Medicare Supplement

Attained-Age vs Issue-Age: How Kansas Medigap Is Priced

If you live in Overland Park and you're weighing a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy, here is the piece that trips people up: the letter on the policy — A, B, D, G, G-HD, K, L, M or N — is standardized by federal law. A Plan G sold by one company pays the same share of your Part A and Part B costs as a Plan G sold by any other company. The benefits are identical.

Medicare SupplementOverland Park, KS

Why the insurer matters, even when the plan letter doesn't

What is not identical is the insurer behind the letter. Two carriers selling the exact same Plan N in Johnson County can charge very different premiums, raise rates on different schedules, offer different household discounts, and ask different health questions if you apply outside your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period. That is the real comparison shoppers need to make.

This article walks through how to do that comparison without naming any prices — because premiums change, vary by ZIP code and age, and are best checked directly on Medicare.gov or with the carrier.

Who sells Medigap in Kansas

Overland Park is in Johnson County, and Kansas residents can shop from the statewide list of insurers approved to sell Medigap here. The table below lists every insurer currently selling standardized Medigap policies in Kansas, along with which plan letters each one offers.

You'll see familiar national names like Aetna Health Insurance Company, AARP - UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Humana (Humana Benefit Plan of Illinois, Inc.), Mutual of Omaha (United World Life Insurance Company), State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company and USAA Life Insurance Company, alongside Kansas-rooted options such as BlueCross BlueShield Kansas Solutions Inc and Kansas Farm Bureau Health Plans. Smaller carriers on the list — for example Everence Association Inc., Old Surety Life Insurance Company and Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation — sell here too.

A quick note on the letters: Plans C and F can only be bought by people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. If you're newly eligible, your choices are A, B, D, G, G-HD, K, L, M and N.

The three pricing methods, in plain English

When you look at any Medigap premium, ask the agent or the insurer's website which rating method they use. Kansas allows all three:

Attained-age rated. The premium is based on your current age and generally goes up as you get older. It often looks cheapest at 65 and climbs from there.

Issue-age rated. The premium is based on the age at which you first bought the policy. It doesn't go up just because you had a birthday, though it can still rise with inflation and claims costs.

Community rated (also called no-age-rated). Everyone in Kansas who buys that policy pays the same base rate, regardless of age. Inflation and claims can still push it up, but age alone does not.

None of these is automatically better. What matters is how the premium behaves over 10 or 20 years, not just year one.

Rate history is the number few people ask for

Because Medigap premiums can and do increase, one of the smartest questions you can ask is: "What have your rate changes looked like over the last 3 to 5 years?" A carrier that raised rates modestly year after year may end up costing less over time than one that started lower and jumped sharply.

The Kansas Insurance Department publishes a Medicare Supplement rate guide that shows premium information for insurers selling in the state. That guide, plus the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search (which lets you enter your Overland Park ZIP code), are the two best neutral sources. Neither one is trying to sell you anything.

Household discounts and other price levers

Several insurers on the Kansas list offer a household discount — often around 5% to 12% — if you live with another adult, or if a spouse also enrolls in a policy with the same company. Rules vary: some carriers require both people to be enrolled, others only require that you share a household. Always ask.

Other things worth asking each insurer:

• Do you offer a discount for paying annually or by electronic funds transfer?
• Is there a one-time enrollment fee?
• How is my premium calculated in future years?

Underwriting: the question that changes everything

During your Medigap Open Enrollment Period — the six months that start when you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B — insurers in Kansas must sell you any Medigap plan they offer, at their standard rate, without asking health questions. This is a one-time federal right, and it is the easiest moment to shop.

Outside that window, most Kansas insurers can use medical underwriting. That means they can ask about your health, look at prescriptions, and either charge you more or decline coverage. A handful of situations — called guaranteed issue rights — protect you from underwriting later (for example, if your Medicare Advantage plan leaves your area). If you're outside open enrollment, ask each carrier what their underwriting looks like before you apply, because a "no" on one application does not stop you from applying elsewhere.

How to actually do the comparison

Here is a simple sequence that works for most Overland Park shoppers:

1. Decide on the plan letter first (G, N and high-deductible G are the most-shopped for people newly eligible). Every insurer offering that letter is selling the same coverage. 2. Pull the list of Kansas insurers offering that letter from the table below. 3. Use the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search with your ZIP code to see current premiums side by side. 4. Cross-check with the Kansas Insurance Department's rate guide for history. 5. Call two or three carriers and ask about pricing method, household discount and underwriting rules. 6. Contact your local SHIP (the Kansas Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas program, known as SHICK) for free, unbiased help.