Medicare Supplement

Medicare Supplement Insurance: A Southaven Plain-English Guide

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — If you've spent any time reading about Medicare, you've probably run into the word "Medigap" and a confusing string of letters — Plan A, Plan G, Plan N, and more. Here's a plain-English look at what Medicare Supplement insurance actually does, why the letters matter, and how it fits with the rest of your coverage.

What Medigap is — and what it isn't

Medicare Supplement insurance, often called Medigap, is a private policy that helps pay some of the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare leaves behind. Think of the deductibles, coinsurance, and copays you'd otherwise owe under Part A (hospital) and Part B (doctor and outpatient). Medigap steps in to help with those gaps — hence the nickname.

A few things Medigap is not:

• It's not the same as Medicare Advantage (Part C). You can't have both at the same time.
• It doesn't include prescription drug coverage. For that, you'd add a separate Part D plan.
• It generally doesn't cover dental, vision, hearing aids, or long-term care.

You keep Original Medicare as your primary coverage, and your Medigap policy pays after Medicare pays.

Why the letters exist

In most states, Medigap policies are standardized by the federal government. That means Plan G from one insurance company covers the same core benefits as Plan G from another company. The price can differ, and customer service can differ, but the benefits inside each lettered plan are the same across carriers.

The currently sold plans are labeled A, B, D, G, K, L, M, and N. Plans C and F are still held by people who qualified before Jan. 1, 2020, but they're no longer sold to people newly eligible for Medicare after that date, because they covered the Part B deductible — something Congress phased out for new enrollees.

Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin standardize their Medigap plans a little differently, but the same idea applies: the letters (or state equivalents) tell you what's covered.

How to read the benefits chart

Every Medigap plan covers a core set of benefits — like Part A hospital coinsurance and an extra 365 days of hospital coverage after Medicare runs out. From there, plans add on:

• Part B coinsurance or copays
• The first three pints of blood
• Hospice coinsurance
• Skilled nursing facility coinsurance
• Part A deductible
• Foreign travel emergency care (in some plans)

Plans K and L work a little differently — they pay a percentage of certain costs (50% or 75%) until you hit an annual out-of-pocket limit, and then they pay 100% for the rest of the year. Plan N has small copays for some office and emergency room visits.

The full chart is available on Medicare.gov, and it's worth printing before you shop.

When you can buy — the window that matters most

The best time to buy a Medigap policy is during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period: the six months that begin the first month you're both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers can't turn you down or charge you more because of your health. Miss it, and in most states, insurers can use medical underwriting — meaning your health history could affect whether you're approved and what you pay.

That six-month window is a federal protection. Some states offer extra rights on top of it, so it's worth checking your state's rules.

How this fits in Southaven

Southaven is in DeSoto County, where residents choose between two main paths at 65: Original Medicare (often paired with a Medigap policy and a stand-alone Part D drug plan) or a Medicare Advantage plan that bundles coverage from a private insurer. Medigap policies are sold by private companies licensed in Mississippi, and availability and pricing can vary by ZIP code and age.

If you want a personalized look at what's sold in your area, the Plan Finder at Medicare.gov lets you search Medigap policies by ZIP.

A quick note on 2026 numbers

Medigap itself doesn't have a federal price tag — premiums are set by each carrier. But it often works alongside a Part D drug plan, and Part D has some notable 2026 figures worth knowing:

• The out-of-pocket cap for Part D drugs is $2,100 in 2026.
• The maximum Part D deductible is $615.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated in 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across monthly payments if that helps your budget.