Medicare Supplement

Before you renew your Medigap plan in Cary, read this

CARY, N.C. — If you have a Medigap policy in Cary, or you are shopping for one this fall, a few moving parts are worth understanding before the calendar flips to 2026. Nothing about the standardized plan letters is being reinvented, but the rules around who can buy which letter, the yearly reset of the Part B deductible that Plans G and N are built around, and the annual rate filings insurers make with the state all shape what you will actually pay and see on the market.

Medicare SupplementCary, NC

Here is a plain-English rundown of what is changing, what is staying the same, and where to look up the specifics.

Who can buy which plan letter in 2026

The standardized Medigap plan letters have not changed for 2026. In North Carolina, people newly eligible for Medicare can choose from Plans A, B, D, G, high-deductible G, K, L, M and N.

Plans C and F are only available to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. That is a federal rule, not a state one, and it is not going away. If you turned 65 recently, or you are aging in this year, C and F are simply off the menu — even if a friend or spouse has one.

Cary is in Wake County, and Medigap availability in North Carolina is set statewide rather than by county, so the plan letters and insurers you can shop are the same whether you live in Cary, Apex or anywhere else in the state.

The Part B deductible resets every January

Two of the most popular Medigap letters — Plan G and Plan N — are built around the Part B deductible. Neither one pays that deductible for you; you cover it first, and then the plan picks up what it is designed to cover.

Because the deductible is set by CMS each year and resets every January 1, the "front end" of what you pay before Plan G or Plan N kicks in changes annually. The 2026 figure is published on medicare.gov under Medicare costs. It is worth checking each January so you are not surprised the first time you visit a doctor in the new year.

High-deductible Plan G works differently: you meet a separate, higher plan deductible before the coverage begins. That amount is also updated by CMS annually.

Rate-adjustment season: how North Carolina works

Medigap premiums are not set by Medicare or by the federal government. Each insurer files proposed rates with the North Carolina Department of Insurance, and those filings are what drive the renewal letters you get in the mail.

A few things to know as filings work through the system:

• Your premium can change even though your benefits do not. Medigap benefits are standardized by letter, so a Plan G is a Plan G — but the price behind it is set by the insurer.
• Rate changes typically hit on your policy anniversary, not January 1.
• If your renewal notice shows an increase you did not expect, you can request the insurer's filing summary, or look it up through the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
• Switching Medigap plans outside your initial open enrollment window generally involves medical underwriting in North Carolina, so a lower quoted price is not a guarantee you will be accepted.

Before making any move, ask for the renewal amount in writing and compare it against quotes from other carriers for the same plan letter.

Insurers selling Medigap in North Carolina

North Carolina has a wide roster of insurers offering Medigap. The table below lists every insurer currently selling Medigap in the state and which plan letters each one offers. Not every carrier sells every letter — for example, some sell only Plan A, F, G and N, while others include high-deductible G, K or L.

For 2026 specifically, insurer participation and plan-letter availability are matters of public record with the North Carolina Department of Insurance. If you want to confirm whether a specific carrier is still writing new business, or whether a plan letter has been added or dropped, the Department is the authoritative source, along with Medicare's own Medigap policy search tool at medicare.gov.

How to check specifics before you enroll

A few practical steps for Cary readers heading into 2026:

1. Use the Medigap policy search on medicare.gov, enter your ZIP code, and compare plan letters side by side. 2. Ask each insurer for the current premium AND the renewal history for the plan letter you are considering. 3. Call the North Carolina SHIIP (Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program) for free, unbiased counseling. SHIIP is part of the state Department of Insurance. 4. Call 1-800-MEDICARE if you have a question about a federal rule, such as who is eligible for Plan C or F.