Medicare Supplement

Newly eligible in Hudson County? Here's your Medigap lineup

JERSEY CITY — As 2026 approaches, Medicare Supplement (Medigap) shoppers in Hudson County are heading into the part of the year when insurers refile rates with the state, the Part B deductible resets, and the standardized plan letters people can newly buy stay locked in by federal rule. None of that changes what a Medigap policy is — a supplement that pays some of what Original Medicare does not — but it does change what you should check before you sign anything.

Here is a plain-English guide to what is shifting for the coming year, and what is simply being reset.

The plan letters you can actually buy

Medigap is standardized by the federal government. In New Jersey, someone newly eligible for Medicare in 2026 can choose from Plans A, B, D, G, high-deductible G, K, L, M and N. Plans C and F are still in force for people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, but they are closed to newcomers because federal law no longer allows new Medigap plans to cover the Part B deductible.

That is the single biggest "rule change" people keep asking about — and it has not moved. If you turned 65 in 2020 or later, Plans C and F are not on your menu, no matter which insurer you call.

Because the benefits inside each letter are set by Medicare, a Plan G from one carrier covers the same medical services as a Plan G from another. What differs is the monthly premium, how the insurer raises rates over time, and how it handles customer service.

The yearly Part B deductible reset

Plans G and N — the two most common picks for new enrollees — are designed around the Part B deductible. With Plan G, you pay the Part B deductible once each calendar year, and the plan then picks up the Part B coinsurance. Plan N works similarly, with small copays for some office and emergency visits.

Every January, that deductible resets. CMS publishes the exact 2026 figure on medicare.gov's "Medicare costs" page; check it there rather than relying on last year's number. The reset is normal and expected — it is not a benefit cut — but it does mean your first qualifying visit of the new year will feel more expensive than your December visits did.

Rate-adjustment season in New Jersey

Medigap premiums are not set by Medicare. In New Jersey, insurers file proposed rates with the state Department of Banking and Insurance, which reviews them. Filings tend to cluster around policy-anniversary dates, which is why many readers see renewal letters in the fall and winter.

Two practical steps for Jersey City readers:

1. When your renewal notice arrives, compare it against the New Jersey Medigap rate guide the state publishes, and against a fresh quote from the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search using your ZIP code. 2. Remember that switching Medigap plans outside your initial open enrollment window can involve medical underwriting in New Jersey, so a lower quoted price is not automatically a plan you can move to. Ask the insurer — or your SHIP counselor — about underwriting before you cancel anything.

Insurers entering or leaving the state

Medigap carriers can enter or leave a state, or add and drop specific plan letters, during the year. There is no single public "Medicare Advantage-style" annual reshuffle for Medigap the way there is each October for Advantage and Part D. To see which insurers are currently offering Medigap in your ZIP code, use the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search — it lists every insurer approved to sell each plan letter in your area, updated as filings change.

The table on this page pulls from the same public data. Use it as a starting point, then confirm on medicare.gov before you apply.

How this fits with the rest of Medicare in 2026

A few program-level facts worth keeping in mind while you shop:

• Part D has a new $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap in 2026, and the maximum Part D deductible is $615. The old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated in 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• If your income is above $109,000 as a single filer, IRMAA surcharges apply to your Part B and Part D premiums in 2026.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments if you choose.
• Medigap does not cover prescription drugs, so most Medigap enrollees also buy a standalone Part D plan. Part D changes happen during Annual Enrollment, October 15 through December 7.