Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Jersey City: the plan letters New Jersey shoppers can still buy

If you live in Jersey City and are shopping for a Medicare Supplement policy — often called Medigap — the first thing to know is that the choices are set by federal letters, not by clever brand names. Every insurer that sells a "Plan G" or a "Plan N" in New Jersey is selling the same standardized benefits. What changes from company to company is the price and the service.

What Medigap is (and what it isn't)

Medigap is private insurance that helps pay some of what Original Medicare leaves behind — things like the Part A hospital deductible, Part B coinsurance, and certain other cost-sharing amounts. It rides alongside Original Medicare. It is not a replacement for it.

Two important limits to keep in mind:

• Medigap only works with Original Medicare. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you cannot use a Medigap policy at the same time.
• Medigap does not cover prescription drugs. If you want drug coverage, you generally add a standalone Part D plan.

The plan letters you can buy in New Jersey

New Jersey uses the federal standardized Medigap letters (unlike Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, which have their own systems). Every insurer that sells "Plan G" in New Jersey covers the same list of benefits under Plan G. That makes apples-to-apples shopping easier — you can focus on price, customer service, and how the insurer raises rates over time.

If you are becoming eligible for Medicare today, these letters are available in New Jersey:

• Plan A
• Plan B
• Plan D
• Plan G
• Plan G high-deductible
• Plan K
• Plan L
• Plan M
• Plan N

Plans C and F are still sold, but only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. If that is you, you may still be able to buy or keep one; if you became eligible later, those two letters are off the table.

To see what benefits each letter includes, Medicare publishes a side-by-side chart in its "Choosing a Medigap Policy" guide at medicare.gov.

How Medigap pairs with Part D

Because Medigap doesn't include drug coverage, most Jersey City residents who choose Original Medicare plus Medigap also sign up for a standalone Part D plan. A few 2026 program facts worth having in mind as you shop:

• Part D has a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap in 2026. Once you hit it, you pay nothing more for covered drugs that year.
• The Part D deductible can be no higher than $615 in 2026.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases, not four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly payments, at no extra charge.
• Higher-income enrollees pay IRMAA surcharges on top of the standard Part B and Part D premiums. For 2026, those surcharges start above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

You can enroll in or change a Part D plan during the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 through December 7.

Finding insurers that sell Medigap in Jersey City

Jersey City is in Hudson County. Medigap policies are sold statewide in New Jersey rather than by ZIP code the way Medicare Advantage plans are, but availability, pricing method, and premiums still vary by insurer. Because insurer lists change, this article does not name specific carriers. Three reliable places to get a current, complete list:

1. Medicare.gov Medigap policy search. Enter your ZIP code at medicare.gov to see every company licensed to sell Medigap to New Jersey residents, along with the letters each one offers. 2. The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Medigap rate guide. The state publishes a comparison of premiums by company and plan letter. Search "New Jersey Medigap rate guide" or visit nj.gov/dobi. 3. New Jersey SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program). SHIP counselors give free, unbiased one-on-one help. They do not sell insurance.

State rules that shape your choice

A few things about New Jersey are worth asking about directly before you buy or switch:

• Open enrollment for Medigap. Federal law gives you a six-month Medigap open enrollment period that starts when you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers cannot deny you a policy or charge more because of your health.
• Guaranteed-issue situations. Outside that window, federal law protects you in certain specific situations — for example, if your Medicare Advantage plan leaves the area. New Jersey may add protections beyond the federal minimum. Ask the state insurance department or SHIP what applies to your situation.
• How premiums are set. Insurers can use different pricing methods (community-rated, issue-age-rated, or attained-age-rated). Two policies with identical benefits can behave very differently as you get older. Ask each insurer which method it uses.

The table on this page lists the standardized letters at a glance so you can see which benefits go with which plan.