Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Newark for 2026: plan letters, the Part B reset, and how to check rate filings

NEWARK, N.J. — If you have a Medigap policy in Newark, or you are thinking about buying one, a few things quietly move each year. The plan letters you can buy depend on when you first became eligible for Medicare. The Part B deductible — the number Plans G and N are built around — resets every January. And insurers refile their rates with the state, which is why the premium you saw last year is not always the premium you will see this year.

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Here is a plain-English look at what is changing for the coming year, and where to check the specifics for your ZIP code.

Which plan letters you can buy in New Jersey

Medigap plans are standardized by letter, which means a Plan G from one company covers the same core benefits as a Plan G from another. What differs is the premium and the company behind it.

If you are newly eligible for Medicare today, you can shop these letters in New Jersey: A, B, D, G, G-HD (the high-deductible version of G), K, L, M and N. Plans C and F are closed to new enrollees — they remain available only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. That rule has not changed, and it will not change next year.

If you already have a Plan C or F, you can keep it. You just cannot switch into one for the first time now.

The Part B deductible reset — why it matters for Plans G and N

Plans G and N are the most common picks among people newly eligible, and both are built around the Part B deductible. In practice, that means you pay the Part B deductible out of pocket at the start of each calendar year, and your Medigap plan picks up its share of costs after that.

Every January, the Part B deductible resets to a new amount set by CMS. When the 2026 figure is published on Medicare.gov, that is the number your Plan G or N will be working around for the year. Nothing about your policy changes — but the dollar you owe before it kicks in does.

If you want the exact 2026 figure, medicare.gov posts it under Medicare costs at a glance.

Rate-adjustment season: how to check next year's premium

Unlike Medicare Advantage and Part D, Medigap premiums are not set once a year on a national schedule. Insurers file rate changes with the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, and those filings can take effect at different points in the year depending on the company and the plan.

This is why two neighbors in Newark with the same Plan G, from different insurers, can pay very different premiums — and why the smart move each year is to recheck.

Three good places to look:

• Medicare.gov Medigap policy search. Enter your Newark ZIP code and the plan letter you want. You will see every insurer selling that plan in your area and the premium range.
• The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance Medigap rate guide. The state publishes a consumer guide showing filed rates by carrier and plan letter.
• The New Jersey SHIP. Free counselors will walk you through the comparison without trying to sell you anything.

We are not naming specific insurers here because premium and rate specifics change with each filing — the sources above always show the current picture.

Insurers entering or leaving

Companies do occasionally add or drop Medigap lines in a state, and when a carrier stops selling a plan letter to new applicants, existing policyholders are generally not forced off — but new shoppers lose that option.

The cleanest way to see who is actively selling in Newark (which sits in Essex County) is the Medicare.gov policy search, because it only shows insurers currently accepting applications for your ZIP code. If a company you have heard of does not appear, that is your signal.

A note on switching Medigap plans in New Jersey

Outside your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period — which starts the month your Part B begins — insurers in most states can use medical underwriting to decide whether to accept you and at what price. New Jersey has some additional protections, and specific guaranteed-issue rights can apply if, for example, your current plan is ending or you are losing other coverage.

Before you drop a policy to switch, call the New Jersey SHIP or 1-800-MEDICARE to confirm your rights in writing. Cancelling first and getting turned down second is the mistake people regret.