Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Baltimore: the plan letters Maryland actually sells today

BALTIMORE — If you have Original Medicare and you keep getting bills for the 20% Part B coinsurance, a hospital deductible, or other gaps, a Medigap policy is the tool designed to help fill those holes. In Maryland, the policies sold to people newly eligible for Medicare are drawn from a short, federally standardized menu — and knowing which letters are on that menu is the first step to shopping wisely in Baltimore.

Medicare SupplementBaltimore, MD

What Medigap is — and what it is not

Medigap, also called Medicare Supplement Insurance, is a private policy that pays some of the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare leaves behind. Think Part A hospital coinsurance, the Part B 20% coinsurance, and — depending on the letter — the Part A deductible or foreign travel emergency care.

A Medigap policy is not a Medicare Advantage plan. You cannot have both at the same time. Medigap sits beside Original Medicare, not on top of an Advantage plan.

Medigap also does not cover prescription drugs. If you want drug coverage, you enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan. In 2026, Part D has a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap, a maximum deductible of $615, and the old "donut hole" is gone — replaced by three simpler phases. There is also a Medicare Prescription Payment Plan that lets you spread drug costs across the calendar year.

The plan letters you can buy in Maryland

Maryland follows the federal Medigap standardization used in most states. That means each lettered plan offers the same core benefits no matter which company sells it. A Plan G from one insurer covers the same items as a Plan G from another; the price and customer service are what differ.

For people newly eligible for Medicare today, the letters available in Maryland are:

• Plan A
• Plan B
• Plan D
• Plan G
• Plan G High Deductible (G-HD)
• Plan K
• Plan L
• Plan M
• Plan N

Plans C and F remain available only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. That is a federal rule, not a Maryland one.

How Medigap pairs with Original Medicare and Part D

A typical setup in Baltimore looks like this: Medicare Part A and Part B pay first; your Medigap policy pays its share of what's left, based on the letter you chose; and a separate Part D plan handles your prescriptions.

Because Medigap benefits are standardized, the shopping question is less "what does Plan G cover" and more "how is this Plan G priced, and how have its rates changed over time?" Insurers can use different pricing methods — commonly called issue-age, attained-age, or community-rated — and those methods affect how a premium changes as you get older. The Maryland Insurance Administration publishes a rate guide that shows premiums by company and plan, which is a useful place to compare.

State rules that shape the choice

Federal law gives you a one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period: six months starting the first month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers must sell you any Medigap policy they offer, at their best rate, regardless of your health.

Outside that window, guaranteed-issue rights are narrower and depend on your situation — for example, losing other coverage or an Advantage plan leaving your area. Some states have added extra rights, such as a "birthday rule" that lets you switch plans yearly. Whether Maryland offers rights beyond the federal baseline can change, so confirm with the Maryland Insurance Administration or the state SHIP before you assume a switch will be guaranteed.

If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan and want to move back to Original Medicare with a Medigap policy, be aware of the standard Medicare calendars: the Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31. Those windows govern Part C and Part D changes; Medigap has its own timing rules.

How to compare Medigap policies in Baltimore

Because we cannot list every insurer here, use these tools:

• Medicare.gov Medigap policy search. Enter your Baltimore ZIP code to see which companies sell each lettered plan in your area.
• Maryland Insurance Administration. The state publishes a Medigap rate comparison guide and can answer questions about licensed insurers.
• Maryland SHIP. Free, unbiased counseling from trained volunteers who can walk through the letters and pricing methods with you.
• 1-800-MEDICARE. For questions about how Medigap works with Original Medicare and Part D.

The table on this page can help you see the lettered plans side by side; the shopping work is confirming price and pricing method for the letter you like.