Medicare Supplement

Same Plan G, different insurer: how to line them up

Rochester, N.Y. — If you have shopped for a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy in Monroe County, you already know the catch: two insurers can sell what looks like the exact same plan, and the paperwork barely helps you tell them apart. That is because the coverage really is the same — it is the price tag, the way that price will change, and the rules for getting in that differ. Here is how to line them up fairly.

Medicare SupplementRochester, NY

Start with the letter, not the logo

Medigap plans are standardized by federal law. That means a Plan G sold by one company covers the same Part A and Part B cost-sharing as a Plan G sold by any other company. A Plan N is a Plan N. A high-deductible Plan G is a high-deductible Plan G.

So when you compare insurers, you are not comparing benefits. You are comparing:

• The premium each insurer charges for that letter,
• How that premium is likely to change over time,
• Any household or other discounts,
• The insurer's rate-increase history,
• And, in most states, the underwriting rules — though New York is different here.

The table below lists every insurer selling Medigap in New York and the letters each one offers. Pick your letter first, then look only at the companies that sell it.

Who sells Medigap in New York

For 2026, the insurers offering standardized Medigap policies in New York, listed alphabetically, are:

• 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 (Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company)
• Univera Healthcare West New York

Not every company sells every letter. For example, Plan D and Plan M are only offered by a subset of these carriers, while Plan A, Plan B and Plan G are more widely available. Check the table for which letters each insurer files in New York.

Pricing methods: why the same letter can cost different amounts

Nationally, Medigap insurers use one of three pricing methods:

• Community-rated: everyone with the same plan pays the same base premium regardless of age.
• Issue-age rated: your premium is based on your age when you first buy the policy and does not go up with age.
• Attained-age rated: your premium is based on your current age and increases as you get older.

New York requires community rating for Medigap. That is why age is not the driver of your premium here. But two insurers can still community-rate the same letter and land at very different numbers, because each files its own rates based on its own claims, administrative costs and reserves. That is the piece worth comparing.

Rate history matters more than this year's price

A low premium today is not much comfort if it climbs sharply next year. When you compare insurers offering the same letter, ask about — or look up — the company's rate-increase history for that plan in New York.

The New York State Department of Financial Services posts approved Medigap rate filings, and Medicare.gov's Medigap policy search shows current premiums by ZIP code. Reading those side by side gives you a fuller picture than any single quote.

Household discounts and other price levers

Some insurers offer a household discount when two people in the same home each buy a policy, or when a spouse or partner already has one. Others do not. The size of the discount, and who qualifies, varies by company and by plan.

When you request quotes, ask each insurer:

• Do you offer a household or spousal discount in New York?
• What is the discount, and does it stay in place year after year?
• Are there any other discounts (for example, for paying annually or by bank draft)?

Small differences here can matter over the life of the policy.

Underwriting: New York's unusual rule

In most states, if you try to buy or switch a Medigap policy outside your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, insurers can ask health questions and turn you down. New York is different. State law generally requires Medigap insurers to accept applicants year-round, regardless of health, under what is often called "guaranteed issue" or "continuous open enrollment."

That protection is powerful, but it does not mean every switch is automatic or cost-free. Confirm the effective date, any waiting period for pre-existing conditions if you have had a gap in coverage, and how your current policy will be canceled. If you are unsure, do not cancel the old policy until the new one is in force.

How to do the comparison in one sitting

A clean way to compare, once you have chosen your letter:

1. Go to Medicare.gov and use the Medigap policy search with your ZIP code. 2. Filter to the letter you want (say, Plan G or Plan N). 3. List every insurer that offers it in the Rochester area. 4. For each, note the current premium, the pricing method (in New York, community-rated), any household discount, and the rate-increase history. 5. Cross-check against the New York State Department of Financial Services rate filings. 6. Call your local SHIP — in New York it is called HIICAP (Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program) — for a free, unbiased review.