Medicare Supplement

Medigap in St. Paul: how Minnesota's own Medicare Supplement plans work

If you live in St. Paul and you're shopping for a Medicare Supplement policy, you're going to notice something odd right away: the plan letters everyone talks about — Plan G, Plan N, Plan F — don't quite match what's for sale here. That's not a mistake. Minnesota is one of only three states that standardizes its own Medigap plans, so the menu in Ramsey County looks different from what a friend in Iowa or Wisconsin might describe.

Medicare SupplementSt. Paul, MN

Here's what that means for you, and how to compare policies without getting lost.

Why St. Paul's Medigap menu looks different

Most states use the federal A-through-N Medigap letters. Minnesota doesn't. Instead, insurers here sell two core policies:

• A Basic plan, which covers a standard set of benefits.
• An Extended Basic plan, which covers more.

On top of a Basic plan, you can usually add optional riders — for example, a Part A deductible rider or a Part B deductible rider — to build up coverage piece by piece. Minnesota also offers its own versions of Plans K, L, M, and N, plus high-deductible options.

So when you compare two policies in St. Paul, you're comparing them by these Minnesota names, not by the federal letters. The table below lists the plan types you can shop by.

How Medigap fits with the rest of Medicare

A Medigap policy sits alongside Original Medicare. Medicare pays first, and your Medigap policy picks up some or all of what's left — things like coinsurance, copays and, depending on the plan, certain deductibles.

A few rules that trip people up:

• Medigap does not work with Medicare Advantage. You can only use a Medigap policy if you're enrolled in Original Medicare (Part A and Part B).
• Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage. If you want drug coverage, you'd enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan.
• Medigap covers one person. Spouses each need their own policy.

Part D: the piece Medigap doesn't cover

Because Medigap leaves out drugs, your Part D plan matters. A few 2026 numbers worth knowing as you shop:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 for the year.
• The Part D deductible can be no more than $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• If your drug costs run high early in the year, you can ask about the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which spreads your out-of-pocket drug costs into monthly payments.

Higher-income enrollees also pay an IRMAA surcharge on Part B and Part D. For 2026, those surcharges start above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

When you can buy — and why timing matters

The single best window to buy a Medigap policy is your Medigap Open Enrollment Period: the six months that begin the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers in Minnesota must sell you any policy they offer, at their standard rate, without asking about your health.

Outside that window, protections narrow. You may still be able to buy, but in many cases insurers can use medical underwriting — which can affect whether you're accepted and what you pay. Minnesota has some additional guaranteed-issue rights beyond the federal rules, and they change over time, so confirm your situation with the Minnesota Department of Commerce or your local SHIP before you assume a door is open or closed.

Two dates unrelated to Medigap but worth keeping on your calendar:

• Oct. 15 – Dec. 7: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (for Part D and Medicare Advantage changes).
• Jan. 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period.

How to compare St. Paul policies without guessing

There isn't a single "best" Medigap plan, and the same plan name can be priced very differently by different insurers. A few practical steps:

1. Search by ZIP code on Medicare.gov. The Medigap policy search will show you the companies licensed to sell each Minnesota plan type in your area. 2. Read the Minnesota rate guide. The Minnesota Department of Commerce publishes a Medigap rate comparison that lets you see how insurers price the same plan. 3. Ask how the policy is priced. Medigap policies can be priced in different ways (for example, by age at issue, by attained age, or on a community basis), and that affects how your premium may change over time. 4. Call your SHIP. Minnesota's SHIP program, the Senior LinkAge Line (1-800-333-2433), gives free, unbiased counseling — including help sorting out Basic vs. Extended Basic and which riders make sense for you.