Medicare Supplement

How Medigap Plans A, G, and N Work in Fridley

If you live in Fridley and you're sorting through Medicare choices, you've probably run into a wall of letters — Plan A, Plan G, Plan N, and more. These are Medigap plans, also called Medicare Supplement Insurance. They're not Medicare Advantage, and they don't include drug coverage. Their job is narrower and, once you see how they work, easier to understand.

Making Sense of Medigap in Fridley

Here's a plain-English guide to what Medigap does, how the letters work, and the small mistakes that trip people up.

What Medigap Actually Does

Medigap works alongside Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). After Medicare pays its share of a covered service, Medigap steps in to help pay some of what's left — things like coinsurance, copays, and in some cases the Part A deductible.

A few important points:

• Medigap only works with Original Medicare. You cannot use it with a Medicare Advantage plan.
• Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage. For that, you'd add a separate Part D plan.
• You pay a monthly premium for Medigap on top of your Part B premium.

If you want the full picture from the source, Medicare.gov's "Medicare basics" section walks through this in detail.

Why the Letters Exist

Medigap plans are standardized by federal law. That means Plan G sold by one insurance company covers the exact same set of benefits as Plan G sold by another company. The letter tells you what's covered.

What can differ between companies:

• The monthly premium
• Customer service and how claims are handled
• Whether the company offers any extras outside the standardized benefits

So when you compare Medigap plans with the same letter, you're really comparing price and the company behind it — not the benefits themselves.

Most states use the same lettered plans (A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N). Minnesota is different. Along with two other states, Minnesota uses its own standardized Medigap system with "Basic" and "Extended Basic" plans plus optional riders. If you're in Fridley, this is the version you'll see.

The Best Time to Enroll

There's one window that matters most: your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It starts the month you're 65 and enrolled in Part B, and it lasts six months.

During that window:

• Insurance companies cannot turn you down for a Medigap plan.
• They cannot charge you more based on your health history.

Outside that window, in most cases, insurers can use medical underwriting. That means they can look at your health and either deny coverage or charge more. This is the single biggest Medigap mistake people make — waiting, then trying to enroll later and finding the door isn't as open.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A few things to watch for:

• Assuming Medigap includes drugs. It doesn't. You'll want a separate Part D plan if you want drug coverage.
• Trying to pair Medigap with Medicare Advantage. That's not allowed. Medigap only works with Original Medicare.
• Missing your six-month window. Once it closes, guaranteed acceptance usually goes with it.
• Comparing only premiums. Two plans with the same letter cover the same things, but a lower premium today could rise later. Ask how the company sets rate increases.

How This Fits with Local Coverage

Fridley is in Anoka County, where residents have access to Original Medicare (the same nationwide) plus a range of Medicare Advantage and Part D options offered at the county level. Medigap sits in a different lane — it's a supplement to Original Medicare, not an alternative plan. So the question isn't "Medigap or Advantage plus Medigap." It's "Original Medicare with a Medigap plan, or Medicare Advantage." You pick one path.

A Quick Word on 2026 Numbers

Medigap itself doesn't have a federal cap or deductible set by CMS — those are set by each plan letter. But because many people pair Medigap with a Part D drug plan, it helps to know:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year.