Medicare Supplement

Is Plan G in Buffalo the same at every insurer? Here's why.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — If you're shopping for a Medicare Supplement policy in Buffalo, the first thing to understand is that every Medigap plan sold here follows a federal script. Each plan has a letter — A, B, D, G, G-HD, K, L, M or N for people newly eligible today — and the benefits inside any given letter are the same no matter which insurer's name is on the envelope. What changes from company to company is the price, the customer service, and sometimes the extras. The coverage itself is standardized.

Medicare SupplementBuffalo, NY

The letters, not the logos, are what you're really choosing

Buffalo is in Erie County, where the Medicare.gov Medigap search lists 8 insurers offering policies across Plans A, B, C, D, F, F-HD, G, G-HD, K, L, M and N. Plans C and F are only available to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.

How Medigap pairs with Original Medicare and Part D

Medigap is not a stand-alone insurance product. It sits on top of Original Medicare — Part A (hospital) and Part B (doctor and outpatient) — and pays some of the out-of-pocket costs Medicare leaves behind, such as coinsurance and copays. That means you keep Original Medicare as your primary coverage, and your Medigap policy fills in the gaps behind it.

One thing Medigap does not include is prescription drug coverage. If you want help paying for medications, you generally add a stand-alone Part D drug plan. Two 2026 numbers to know: the Part D deductible cannot exceed $615, and once you hit $2,100 in out-of-pocket drug costs, you're done paying for covered drugs for the year. If those costs feel lumpy, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread them across monthly bills.

Medigap also does not mix with Medicare Advantage. If you're on a Medicare Advantage plan, you can't use a Medigap policy at the same time.

What the plan letters mean

Each letter is a package of benefits set by federal rules. In broad strokes:

• Plans A and B cover a smaller set of gaps and are the baseline options.
• Plans D, G and N are more comprehensive; Plan G is a common pick for people newly eligible because it covers most cost-sharing after the Part B deductible.
• Plan G-HD is a high-deductible version — you pay more up front before the plan starts covering gaps.
• Plans K and L share costs with you up to an annual out-of-pocket limit.
• Plan M splits the Part A deductible.
• Plans C and F are closed to anyone who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020.

A note for readers who've lived elsewhere: Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin standardize Medigap differently. New York uses the federal letter system.

Who sells Medigap in the Buffalo area

The table below lists every insurer and the plan letters each one offers in New York. In Erie County, Medicare.gov shows options from AARP - UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, Bankers Conseco Life Insurance Company, BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, EmblemHealth Services Company, Globe Life Insurance Company of New York, Humana (Humana Insurance Company of New York), Mutual of Omaha, and Univera Healthcare West New York.

Because the benefits inside a letter are the same across insurers, the shopping question is not "which company has the best Plan G?" but "which company charges what, and how have their rates behaved over time?"

New York rules that shape the choice

New York has some of the most consumer-friendly Medigap rules in the country, and they matter more than most people realize:

• Community rating. New York requires community-rated pricing for Medigap, meaning premiums are not based on your age.
• Continuous open enrollment / guaranteed issue. New York goes beyond the federal minimum on when insurers must sell you a policy. That can affect your ability to switch plans later without medical underwriting.

The details — including which rights apply in your specific situation — are best confirmed with the New York State Department of Financial Services or your local SHIP counselor before you buy or switch.

When to enroll

The strongest federal protection is your Medigap Open Enrollment Period: the six months that start when you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers must sell you any plan they offer, at their standard rate, regardless of your health history.

Outside that window, federal rules only guarantee coverage in limited situations — but as noted above, New York adds more protection. If you already have a Medicare Advantage plan and are thinking of switching back to Original Medicare with a Medigap, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 to March 31, and the Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7.

How to compare without getting lost

A simple approach:

1. Pick the letter first. Decide how much cost-sharing you're comfortable with — a broader plan like G, a cost-sharing plan like K or L, or a high-deductible option like G-HD. 2. Then compare insurers on that same letter. Because the benefits match, you're comparing price, rate history, and service. 3. Add a stand-alone Part D plan if you want drug coverage. 4. Check with the New York State Department of Financial Services rate guides and your SHIP counselor before committing.