Medicare Supplement

Medigap Plan Letters: What Berkeley Twp. Seniors Should Know

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. — If you've ever tried to shop for a Medicare Supplement policy, you've probably run into a wall of letters: Plan A, Plan G, Plan N, Plan K. It looks like alphabet soup. But once you understand how these plans are built, the choices get a lot less intimidating.

A quick guide to a confusing part of Medicare

Medicare Supplement insurance — often called Medigap — is sold by private companies to help pay some of the costs Original Medicare doesn't cover. Think coinsurance, copayments, and some deductibles. It's not the same thing as Medicare Advantage, and mixing the two up is one of the most common mistakes new enrollees make.

Here's a plain-language look at how Medigap works, what the letters mean, and where Berkeley Township residents can get personalized help.

What Medigap actually does

Medigap is designed to work alongside Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). When you visit a doctor or hospital, Medicare pays its share first. Your Medigap policy then picks up some or all of the leftover costs, depending on which lettered plan you have.

A few important things to know:

• Medigap only works with Original Medicare. If you're enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you generally cannot use a Medigap policy at the same time.
• Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage. For that, you'd need a separate Part D plan.
• You pay a monthly premium to the private insurer for your Medigap policy, on top of your Part B premium.

Why the letters are "standardized"

This is the part that trips people up. In most states, including New Jersey, Medigap plans are standardized by the federal government. That means Plan G from one company covers the exact same core benefits as Plan G from another company. The only real differences between carriers are the price and the customer service.

According to Medicare.gov, there are currently 10 standardized Medigap plans available to new enrollees: A, B, D, G, K, L, M, N, and high-deductible versions of G and F. (Plans C and F are no longer sold to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020.)

Each letter offers a different mix of coverage. Some pay nearly everything after Medicare. Others have lower premiums but ask you to share more of the cost when you get care.

The best time to buy — and why timing matters

Here's a rule worth writing down: your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a six-month window that starts the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During this window, you have a "guaranteed issue" right, meaning insurers can't turn you down or charge you more because of your health history.

Miss that window, and in most cases, insurers in New Jersey can use medical underwriting. That could mean higher premiums or a denied application if you have health conditions. This is one of the costliest mistakes people make with Medicare — waiting too long to shop for a supplement.

How Medigap fits with everything else in 2026

Even if you buy a Medigap policy, you'll still want to think about drug coverage. In 2026, Part D plans come with a $2,100 out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs and a maximum deductible of $615. The old coverage gap (the "donut hole") has been eliminated, replaced by a simpler three-phase structure. There's also the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments if that helps your budget.

Higher-income beneficiaries should also be aware of IRMAA — an income-related surcharge that begins above $109,000 for single filers in 2026 and applies to both Part B and Part D premiums.

Berkeley Township is in Ocean County, where residents have access to a full range of Medigap carriers licensed in New Jersey, as well as Medicare Advantage and stand-alone Part D options. The county-level plan menu is set by CMS each year.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming Medigap covers drugs. It doesn't. You need a separate Part D plan.
• Trying to combine Medigap with a Medicare Advantage plan. These are two different roads — you pick one lane.
• Waiting past your six-month Medigap window. Your guaranteed-issue right expires, and getting coverage later can be harder or more expensive.
• Assuming one company's Plan G is better than another's. The benefits are identical by law. Compare price and service.