Medicare Supplement

Medigap for Salina: what the letter plans pay for

If you live in Salina and you're getting close to 65 — or you're helping a parent sort through the mail — you've probably heard the term "Medigap." It's also called Medicare Supplement Insurance, and its job is pretty simple: it helps pay some of the costs that Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) leaves behind.

What Medigap actually does

Think of Original Medicare as the main coverage. It pays a big share of your hospital and doctor bills, but not all of it. You're still responsible for things like the Part A hospital deductible, the 20% coinsurance under Part B, and other out-of-pocket amounts. A Medigap policy, sold by private insurance companies, steps in to cover some or all of those leftover costs, depending on which plan you pick.

One important thing to know upfront: Medigap only works with Original Medicare. It does not work with Medicare Advantage. And Medigap policies sold today do not include prescription drug coverage — for that, you'd add a stand-alone Part D plan.

Why the plans are named with letters

This is where a lot of people get confused, so let's slow down.

Medigap plans are standardized by the federal government. In most states, including Kansas, the plans are labeled with letters: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. (Plans C and F are only available to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.)

Here's the key idea: Plan G from one company covers the exact same things as Plan G from another company. The letter tells you what's covered. That part is set by law. What can differ is the price, the customer service, and things like whether the company offers extras (some do, some don't).

So when you compare Medigap policies, you're really comparing prices and companies for the same set of benefits within each letter.

How the letters actually differ from each other

Each letter is a different "bundle" of benefits. Some plans cover almost everything Original Medicare leaves behind. Others cover less and cost less. A few use cost-sharing, meaning you pay part of the bill up to a yearly out-of-pocket limit, and then the plan picks up the rest.

The benefits covered across the letters include things like:

• Part A hospital coinsurance and extra days after Medicare runs out
• Part B coinsurance or copayment
• The first three pints of blood
• Skilled nursing facility coinsurance
• Part A and Part B deductibles (only some letters)
• Foreign travel emergency care (only some letters)

You can see a side-by-side chart of what each letter covers on medicare.gov. That's the most reliable place to start, because the chart comes straight from the program.

When you can buy a Medigap policy

Timing matters a lot with Medigap, and this is the part where Salina readers most often wish someone had warned them earlier.

Your best window is your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It starts the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B, and it lasts six months. During this window, an insurance company can't turn you down or charge you more because of your health history. This protection is federal.

Outside that window, in most cases, insurance companies in Kansas can use medical underwriting — meaning they can ask health questions and decide whether to sell you a policy, and at what price. There are some special situations ("guaranteed issue rights") where you keep protections, but they're limited. If you're on the fence about Medigap, it's worth understanding this timing before the window closes.

How Medigap fits with the rest of Medicare

Medigap is one path. Medicare Advantage is another. You generally can't have both at the same time, so it helps to see the whole picture before deciding.

Salina is in Saline County, where a range of Medicare Advantage plans and stand-alone Part D drug plans are offered each year by private insurers. If you go the Original Medicare + Medigap route, you'd typically also sign up for a stand-alone Part D plan to cover prescriptions.

A few 2026 program figures worth keeping in mind as you weigh your options:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 for the year. Once you hit it, you're done paying for covered drugs that year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615.
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: an optional way to spread your drug costs into monthly payments.
• IRMAA (higher Part B and Part D premiums for higher incomes) starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.
• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7. Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31.

Medigap has its own enrollment rules, separate from those windows above.

How to decide which letter fits you

There's no single "right" answer, but a few honest questions help:

1. How much predictability do you want? Some letters cover more, so your monthly premium is higher but your surprise bills are smaller. Others have lower premiums but you'll share more costs when you use care. 2. Do you travel outside the U.S.? Some letters include foreign travel emergency coverage; some don't. 3. Are you newly eligible, or were you eligible before 2020? That changes which letters you can buy. 4. Are you inside your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment window? If yes, you have the strongest protections. If no, ask about underwriting before you assume you can switch later.

Once you narrow down a letter, then you compare companies on price and service — because the benefits inside that letter are the same everywhere.