Medicare Supplement

Kearney Medigap Basics: Plan Letters and Standard Benefits

KEARNEY, Neb. — If you've spent any time reading about Medicare, you've probably run into a wall of letters: Plan A, Plan G, Plan N, and more. Those letters refer to Medicare Supplement Insurance, better known as Medigap. It's a type of private insurance that works alongside Original Medicare to help pay some of the costs Medicare doesn't cover on its own.

Medigap isn't a replacement for Medicare, and it isn't the same thing as Medicare Advantage. Here's a plain-language look at what it does, how the standardized letters work, and what to think about before you sign up.

What Medigap actually does

Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) pays a big share of your hospital and doctor bills — but not all of it. You're still responsible for things like the Part A hospital deductible, the Part B deductible, and the 20% coinsurance Medicare leaves for you to pay after it covers its share.

A Medigap policy is sold by a private insurance company and helps cover those leftover pieces. Depending on the plan letter you choose, Medigap may pick up your coinsurance, copayments, deductibles, and some care you get when traveling outside the U.S.

A few important things Medigap does not do:

• It doesn't cover prescription drugs. For that, you'd need a separate Part D plan.
• It doesn't include dental, vision, hearing aids, or long-term care.
• It doesn't work with Medicare Advantage. You choose one path or the other.

Why the letters exist

Medigap plans are standardized by the federal government. That means Plan G from one company covers the same core benefits as Plan G from another company. The price and customer service can differ, but the benefits inside each letter are set by law.

According to Medicare.gov, in most states there are 10 standardized Medigap plans identified by letters: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. (Plans C and F are only available to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.) Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin standardize their plans a little differently.

The letters range from basic to comprehensive. Some plans cover almost every out-of-pocket cost; others cover less but come with lower premiums. There's no single "right" letter — it depends on how you use care and how you like to budget.

What's covered across the letters

While each letter is different, most Medigap plans help with some combination of:

• Part A hospital coinsurance and an extra 365 days of hospital coverage after Medicare's benefits are used up
• Part B coinsurance or copays
• The first three pints of blood each year
• Hospice care coinsurance or copayments
• Skilled nursing facility coinsurance
• The Part A deductible
• Emergency care during foreign travel (on some plans)

Plans K and L work a little differently — they share costs at set percentages and include an annual out-of-pocket limit. Plan N has small copays for some office and emergency room visits.

For a side-by-side comparison of what each letter covers, the official chart at Medicare.gov is the clearest source.

When to enroll — and why timing matters

The best time to buy a Medigap policy is during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. This is a one-time, six-month window that starts the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During this window, insurance companies can't turn you down or charge you more because of your health.

Wait too long, and in most states insurers can use medical underwriting — meaning they can review your health history and decide whether to cover you, and at what price. A few states have extra protections, but Nebraska generally follows the federal rules.

Kearney is in Buffalo County, and Medigap availability is regulated at the state level rather than plan-by-plan by county. That means Nebraska residents in Kearney generally have access to the same standardized letter plans sold across the state, though pricing and which carriers offer which letters can vary.

Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage — a quick reminder

This trips up a lot of people, so it's worth spelling out:

• Medigap works with Original Medicare. You keep Parts A and B, add a supplement, and usually add a separate Part D drug plan.
• Medicare Advantage (Part C) replaces the way you get your Medicare benefits. It's a bundled plan from a private company that often includes drug coverage.

You can't use a Medigap policy to pay costs in a Medicare Advantage plan. You pick one lane.

How to decide which letter fits

There's no shortcut here, but a few questions can help narrow it down:

1. How often do you see doctors or specialists? Frequent care may make a more comprehensive plan feel worth the higher premium. 2. Do you travel? Some letters include foreign travel emergency coverage. 3. How do you feel about predictability? Some people prefer paying a higher monthly premium in exchange for fewer surprise bills. 4. What fits your budget today — and in five years? Premiums can rise over time, so consider the long view.

Also remember that Medigap doesn't include drug coverage, so you'll want to look at Part D separately. In 2026, Part D has a maximum deductible of $615 and a new annual out-of-pocket cap of $2,100, according to CMS. The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") has been eliminated as of 2025, and the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments if that helps your budget.