Medicare Supplement

Medigap Letters Explained for White Plains Medicare Holders

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — If you have Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) and the out-of-pocket costs feel unpredictable, a Medicare Supplement policy — better known as Medigap — is the piece that helps fill in some of those gaps. It doesn't replace Medicare. It works alongside it, helping pay costs like coinsurance, copays, and, in some cases, deductibles that Original Medicare leaves to you.

Medigap in plain English

Here's the part that trips people up: Medigap policies come with letters — Plan A, B, D, G, K, L, M, N (and, for people who had Medicare before 2020, Plan C and Plan F). Those letters are not grades. They're categories. And once you understand how they work, comparing policies gets a lot less confusing.

Why the letters exist

Back in 1992, the federal government stepped in and standardized Medigap. Before that, insurance companies could sell almost anything and call it a "supplement." Today, in most states — including New York — every Medigap policy sold with a certain letter must offer the exact same core benefits, no matter which company sells it.

That means a Plan G from one insurer covers the same Medicare gaps as a Plan G from another insurer. What can differ is the premium, the customer service, and extras like household discounts. The medical coverage inside the letter is set by law.

You can read the official benefit chart on Medicare.gov under "Compare Medigap plan benefits."

What Medigap actually helps pay

Depending on the letter you choose, a Medigap policy may help with:

• Part A hospital coinsurance and an extra 365 days of hospital coverage after Medicare runs out
• Part B coinsurance or copays (usually the 20% Medicare doesn't pay)
• The first three pints of blood each year
• Hospice care coinsurance
• Skilled nursing facility coinsurance
• The Part A deductible
• Some foreign travel emergency care (on certain letters)

What Medigap does not cover: prescription drugs (that's Part D), dental, vision, hearing aids, long-term custodial care, or private-duty nursing. Medigap also can't be used with a Medicare Advantage plan — it only works with Original Medicare.

A quick tour of the more common letters

• Plan A — the most basic set of standardized benefits every insurer must offer.
• Plan B — Plan A's benefits plus the Part A hospital deductible.
• Plan G — one of the most comprehensive options available to people newly eligible today. It covers nearly everything except the Part B deductible.
• Plan N — similar to G, but you pay some office and ER copays, and the Part B deductible.
• Plans K and L — cost-sharing plans with lower premiums and an annual out-of-pocket limit.
• Plan M — splits the Part A deductible with you.
• Plans C and F — only available if you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.

New York has its own consumer protections on top of federal rules, so shopping locally matters. White Plains is in Westchester County, where residents can compare Medigap policies through New York State's Department of Financial Services and the state's Medicare rate pages.

Timing matters more than most people realize

The single biggest Medigap mistake is missing your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. This is the six-month window that starts the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers must sell you any Medigap policy they offer at their best available rate, regardless of your health history.

Miss it, and in many states insurers can use medical underwriting — meaning they can charge more or turn you down based on pre-existing conditions. New York is more generous than most states here, but rules and pricing still vary, so don't assume you can wait indefinitely.

Also worth remembering: the fall Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31) are for Advantage and Part D plans. Medigap has its own timing and isn't tied to those dates.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Confusing Medigap with Medicare Advantage. They're different products. You can't have both at once.
• Assuming all Plan Gs are identical in price. The benefits are; the premium isn't. Get quotes from more than one insurer.
• Waiting too long to enroll. After your six-month window closes, your options can narrow.
• Forgetting about Part D. Medigap doesn't include drug coverage. You'll want a standalone Part D plan, which in 2026 comes with a $2,100 out-of-pocket cap and a maximum deductible of $615.