Medicare Supplement

Before you renew Medigap in Shreveport, check these 2026 items

SHREVEPORT, La. — If you have a Medigap policy in Caddo Parish, or you are shopping for one this fall, a few moving parts are worth knowing before 2026 begins. The list of standardized plans has not been reshuffled, but the rules around who can buy which plan, how Plans G and N interact with the yearly Part B deductible, and when insurers file new rates with Louisiana all shape what you will pay and what you can switch into.

Medicare SupplementShreveport, LA

Here is a plain-English snapshot for Shreveport readers.

The plan letters available in 2026

Medigap plans are standardized by letter, meaning a Plan G from one insurer covers the same federally set benefits as a Plan G from another. What differs is the price and the company behind the policy.

For anyone newly eligible for Medicare, the letters you can buy in Louisiana next year are A, B, D, G, high-deductible G, K, L, M and N. Plans C and F remain closed to people who became eligible on or after January 1, 2020, because those plans covered the Part B deductible — something the law no longer allows for new enrollees. If you were eligible before that date, you can still buy or keep C or F if an insurer offers them.

That eligibility rule is not changing for 2026. It is worth repeating because it still trips up shoppers who see Plan F advertised and assume it is an option.

The Part B deductible reset — and why Plans G and N notice

Every January 1, the Part B deductible resets. Medicare announces the new figure each fall, and CMS posts it on medicare.gov. This matters for Medigap shoppers because:

• Plan G pays almost everything Original Medicare leaves behind, except the Part B deductible. You pay that once a year, then Plan G takes over.
• Plan N works the same way on the deductible, and also leaves you with small copays for some office and emergency room visits, plus any Part B excess charges.
• High-deductible Plan G requires you to meet a separate, higher plan deductible before benefits kick in.

None of that structure is changing for 2026. What changes is the dollar amount of the Part B deductible itself, which you should check on medicare.gov once CMS posts the 2026 figure.

Rate-adjustment season in Louisiana

Medigap premiums are not set by Medicare. Each insurer files proposed rates with the Louisiana Department of Insurance, and those filings are what drive the renewal notices you receive. Rates can change based on your age (in some pricing structures), medical inflation, and the insurer's claims experience.

Two practical steps for Shreveport readers:

1. When your renewal notice arrives, compare the new premium to what you paid this year. 2. Check the Louisiana Department of Insurance website (ldi.la.gov) for rate guides and filings, or call the SHIIP program — Louisiana's State Health Insurance Assistance Program — for free one-on-one help.

Remember: outside your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period (the six months starting when you are 65 and enrolled in Part B), insurers in Louisiana can generally use medical underwriting to decide whether to accept you or what to charge. That is why switching Medigap plans later in life is not always as simple as picking a lower-priced policy.

Who sells Medigap in Louisiana

Louisiana's Medigap market is crowded, which is good news for shoppers comparing quotes. Familiar national names — AARP - UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Aetna Health Insurance Company, AFLAC, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, Humana (Humana Insurance Company), Mutual of Omaha (Omaha Insurance Company), State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company and USAA Life Insurance Company — sit alongside carriers you may not have heard of, such as Bankers Fidelity Assurance Company, LifeShield National Insurance Company, Lumos Insurance and WoodmenLife.

The table below lists every insurer and the plan letters each one currently offers in Louisiana. If you are focused on Plan G or Plan N — the two most-shopped letters for new enrollees — most carriers on the list sell both.

Because the same Plan G is standardized across companies, comparison shopping is essentially about price, customer service and rating history — not different "levels" of benefits.

What to do this fall in Shreveport

A short checklist:

• Read your renewal letter carefully when it arrives, and note the effective date of any premium change.
• Look up the 2026 Part B deductible on medicare.gov once CMS posts it, so you know what Plan G or N will leave you to pay before benefits start.
• If you are still in your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment window, know that you have guaranteed-issue rights during that time.
• If you also have a Part D drug plan, remember the Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7 — that window is for Part D and Medicare Advantage, not Medigap, but it is a good time to review everything together.