Medicare Supplement

Before you shop Medigap in Wichita: what to check

WICHITA — As 2027 planning gets underway, Medigap shoppers in Sedgwick County are looking at the same set of moving parts they see every year: which standardized plan letters they can buy, how the annual reset of the Part B deductible affects Plans G and N, when insurers file new rates with the state, and whether the roster of companies selling in Kansas shifts.

None of these pieces change the core promise of Medigap — it pays some of the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare leaves behind — but each one can change what a policy looks like on paper and what it costs from one year to the next.

Which plan letters you can actually buy in Kansas

Medigap is standardized by the federal government, which means a Plan G from one company covers the same medical items as a Plan G from another. What differs is the price and the service.

In Kansas, people newly eligible for Medicare today can choose from Plans A, B, D, G, G-HD (the high-deductible version of G), K, L, M and N. Plans C and F are still around, but only for people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. That rule is federal and it does not change in 2027.

If you are turning 65 in Wichita next year, that is your menu.

The Part B deductible reset — why it matters for Plans G and N

Plans G and N are the two letters most Kansans shop for, and both are built around the Part B deductible. That deductible resets every January 1.

• With Plan G, you pay the Part B deductible yourself at the start of the year, and the plan picks up covered costs after that.
• With Plan N, you also pay the Part B deductible, plus small copays for some office and emergency-room visits, and any Part B excess charges.
• With the high-deductible version of Plan G, you pay more up front before the plan starts paying.

The dollar amount of the Part B deductible for 2027 will be announced by CMS later in the year. When it changes, the math behind every G and N policy changes with it — even though the plan design on paper stays the same.

Rate-adjustment season: how Wichita prices actually move

Medicare does not set Medigap prices. Insurers file proposed rates with the Kansas Insurance Department, and those filings are where any Wichita-specific price change shows up.

A few things worth knowing:

• Rate changes usually take effect on your policy anniversary or on January 1, depending on the insurer.
• Two companies selling the exact same Plan G can charge very different premiums, and those premiums can move at different times.
• Kansas is generally an "attained-age" state for Medigap pricing, meaning premiums tend to rise as you get older, on top of any across-the-board rate change.

If you already have a policy, your renewal notice will show the new rate. If you are shopping, ask each company how they price and when they last raised rates.

Insurers entering or leaving Kansas

The list of companies licensed to sell Medigap in Kansas shifts from year to year. Some carriers add plan letters, some drop out of the market, and some enter for the first time.

Because that list changes, the most reliable place to see who is selling in your ZIP code right now is the Medigap policy search on Medicare.gov. The Kansas Insurance Department also publishes a Medigap shopper's guide that lists licensed carriers and sample rates, and your local SHIP counselor can walk through it with you at no cost.

When you can switch — and when you cannot

This is the part of Medigap that surprises people most. Unlike Medicare Advantage and Part D, Medigap does not have a yearly open enrollment window where you can freely switch.

Your strongest protection is the six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period that starts the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers in Kansas cannot turn you down or charge more because of your health.

After that window closes, switching to a different Medigap plan or carrier generally means going through medical underwriting, unless you qualify for a specific guaranteed-issue right. That is why the annual rate-filing season matters: if your premium jumps, your options for moving may be limited by your health.

What to do before the end of the year

• Read your renewal notice when it arrives and note the new premium.
• Compare it against other companies selling the same plan letter in your ZIP code using Medicare.gov.
• If you take a lot of prescriptions, remember Medigap does not include drug coverage — that is Part D, and the Part D annual out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 with a maximum deductible of $615.
• Call the Kansas SHIP for free, unbiased help before making any change.