Medicare Supplement

Medigap Letter Plans Explained for Laconia, NH

LACONIA, N.H. — If you're new to Medicare, or helping a parent sort through the mail piling up on the kitchen table, you've probably run into a puzzle: What are all these Medigap "letter" plans, and why do they matter?

Medicare Supplement Insurance — often called Medigap — is one of the oldest and most standardized pieces of the Medicare puzzle. Once you understand how the letters work, the rest gets a lot easier.

What Medigap actually does

Medigap is private insurance you can buy to work alongside Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). It doesn't replace Medicare. Instead, it helps pay some of the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare leaves behind — things like coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles.

For example, Part B generally pays 80% of covered outpatient services after you meet your deductible. That remaining 20% has no cap on its own. A Medigap policy is designed to pick up some or all of that leftover share, depending on which lettered plan you choose.

Medigap only works with Original Medicare. If you're enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), you can't use a Medigap policy at the same time.

Why the letters exist

Back in 1990, Congress standardized Medigap plans so people wouldn't have to compare dozens of confusing policies with different benefits. Today, most states — including New Hampshire — offer Medigap policies labeled by letter: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. (Plans C and F are only available if you became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.)

Here's the key idea: the benefits inside each lettered plan are set by federal law. A Plan G sold by one insurance company covers the same core things as a Plan G sold by another. What can differ is the monthly premium, the customer service, and any extra perks the insurer adds on.

That means shopping Medigap is largely about comparing price and company, not benefits — once you've picked a letter.

How to think about choosing a letter

Every letter offers a different mix of coverage. Some pay nearly all your Medicare cost-sharing; others share more of the cost with you in exchange for a lower premium. When people in Laconia ask us how to decide, we suggest thinking about three things:

• How often do you expect to use care? If you see doctors frequently or have ongoing conditions, a plan that covers more up front may feel more predictable.
• How do you feel about premiums vs. surprise bills? Higher-premium letters usually mean fewer bills later. Lower-premium letters (like K, L, or N) mean you'll share more of the cost when you get care.
• When are you enrolling? Your best pricing and guaranteed acceptance usually come during your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts the month you're 65 and enrolled in Part B. Outside that window, insurers in most states can use medical underwriting.

Medicare.gov has a side-by-side chart showing exactly what each letter covers. It's worth printing out before you make a decision.

What Medigap does not cover

This is where people get tripped up. Medigap doesn't include:

• Prescription drugs — you'd need a separate Part D plan.
• Routine dental, vision, or hearing.
• Long-term custodial care.

If drug coverage matters to you (and for most people it does), remember that 2026 brings a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap on Part D drug costs, along with a maximum Part D deductible of $615. The old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated in 2025. These changes only affect Part D — not Medigap — but they're worth knowing as you build your full coverage plan.

The local picture in Belknap County

Laconia is in Belknap County, where residents have access to both Original Medicare (with the option to add Medigap and Part D) and Medicare Advantage plans offered by private insurers. Medigap availability and pricing in New Hampshire are regulated at the state level, and multiple carriers sell the standardized letter plans here.

The New Hampshire Insurance Department publishes an annual Medigap rate guide showing which companies sell which letters and at what premiums — a helpful starting point before you call anyone.

Key dates to remember

• Medigap Open Enrollment: The 6 months starting when you're 65 and enrolled in Part B. This is your strongest window.
• Medicare Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7 (for Part D and Medicare Advantage changes).
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31.

Note that the fall AEP is not a special Medigap window. Medigap has its own rules, and in most cases you can apply any time of year — but outside your initial 6-month window, acceptance isn't guaranteed.