Medicare Supplement

Same Plan G, different insurer: how to compare Medigap sellers in Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge, La. — If you are shopping a Medicare Supplement policy in Baton Rouge, one fact matters more than almost any other: a Plan G from one company covers the exact same things as a Plan G from any other company. The letters are standardized by federal law. What changes from insurer to insurer is how the policy is priced, how those prices move over time, whether a household discount is offered, and whether you can be turned down for health reasons. Those four things — not the letter itself — are where careful comparison pays off.

Medicare SupplementBaton Rouge, LA

Baton Rouge is in East Baton Rouge Parish, and Medigap in Louisiana is regulated at the state level, so the same list of insurers is available to residents across the parish.

Who sells Medigap in Louisiana

The table below lists every insurer that files Medigap policies for sale in Louisiana, along with the plan letters each one offers. Names on that list include AARP – UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Aetna Health Insurance Company, AFLAC, American Benefit Life Insurance Company, Bankers Fidelity Assurance Company, Bankers Life, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, HealthSpring Insurance Company, Humana (Humana Insurance Company), Humana Achieve, Insurance Company of North America, LifeShield National Insurance Company, Lumos Insurance, Medico Life and Health Insurance Company, Mutual of Omaha, Nassau Life Insurance Company, Philadelphia American Life Insurance Company, Physicians Mutual Insurance Company, State Farm, United American Insurance Company, USAA Life Insurance Company, Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation and WoodmenLife.

Some of these companies sell nearly every letter available; others sell only a handful. If the letter you want is not on a company's row in the table, that company is not part of your comparison — move on.

The three ways insurers price the same letter

This is the single biggest thing to understand, and most Baton Rouge shoppers only learn it after they buy.

• Attained-age rated. Your premium is based on your current age and generally increases as you get older. It often looks lowest in your mid-60s and rises the fastest over time.
• Issue-age rated. Your premium is based on the age you were when you first bought the policy. It does not increase just because you have a birthday, though it can still change due to inflation.
• Community-rated (also called “no-age-rated”). Everyone in the state who owns that policy pays roughly the same, regardless of age.

None of these methods is automatically better — they simply age differently. Two insurers selling the identical Plan G can quote very different numbers today and look nothing alike ten years from now. When you request quotes, ask the agent or the insurer directly: which method do you use in Louisiana, and what is your rate-increase history for the last five years?

Rate history, household discounts and underwriting

Three more items belong on your comparison worksheet:

Rate history. Every insurer files rate changes with the Louisiana Department of Insurance. Its rate guide is a public document and will show you how often — and by how much — a company has raised premiums on existing policyholders. A low starting price from a carrier with a pattern of steep increases is not the bargain it looks like.

Household discount. Many insurers offer a discount (often in the 5%–12% range, depending on the company) when more than one adult in the home holds a policy, or sometimes just when another adult lives with you. Rules vary, so ask each carrier.

Medical underwriting. During your Medigap Open Enrollment — the six months that begin the month you are 65 and enrolled in Part B — any Louisiana insurer must sell you any plan they offer, at their standard rate, regardless of health. After that window closes, most insurers can ask health questions and turn you down or charge more, unless you have a “guaranteed issue” right (for example, if an employer plan is ending). If you are shopping outside your one-time window, ask each company what their underwriting looks like before you apply.

How to compare, step by step

1. Decide which letter fits your budget and how you use care. Plan G and Plan N are the two most common choices for people newly eligible. 2. Pull the list of Louisiana insurers that sell that letter from the table below. 3. Run the same letter through the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search using your Baton Rouge ZIP code. It shows every filed policy and the pricing method used. 4. Check the Louisiana Department of Insurance rate guide for each insurer's recent rate history. 5. Ask each company about household discounts and, if you are outside Open Enrollment, underwriting. 6. Call your local SHIP counselor for a free, unbiased second look before you sign.

What is not a good reason to pick one insurer over another

Not the letter — Plan G is Plan G. Not a friendly logo. Not a mailer that arrived on a Tuesday. And not a claim that one insurer's network is “better,” because Medigap has no network; if a provider accepts Original Medicare, your Medigap policy works.