Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Greensboro: how North Carolina's standardized letters actually work

Shopping for a Medicare Supplement policy in Greensboro can feel like decoding an alphabet. Plan A, Plan G, Plan N, high-deductible G — the letters are federal, but the rules that shape your choice are set here in North Carolina. Here is what a Guilford County resident needs to know before signing anything.

Medicare SupplementGreensboro, NC

The letters, and what "standardized" really means

Medigap policies are sold by private insurers, but the benefits inside each lettered plan are set by federal law. That means a Plan G from one company covers the same core Medicare gaps as a Plan G from another company in North Carolina. The insurer cannot add or remove benefits within the letter.

Three states — Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin — standardize their plans differently. North Carolina follows the federal letter system, so the chart you see on Medicare.gov applies here.

Which plans a Greensboro resident can buy today

If you became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, you can shop these letters in North Carolina: A, B, D, G, high-deductible G, K, L, M and N. Plans C and F remain available only to people who were eligible before that date. Every letter covers a different mix of Part A and Part B cost-sharing; some, like K and L, share costs with you up to an annual out-of-pocket limit rather than paying everything.

The table on this page lists each standardized letter side by side so you can see what is covered before comparing prices.

How Medigap fits with Original Medicare and Part D

Medigap only works alongside Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). It helps pay some of what Medicare does not — things like coinsurance, copays and, depending on the letter, the Part A deductible. You cannot use a Medigap policy with a Medicare Advantage plan.

Medigap does not cover prescription drugs. Most people who choose Original Medicare plus a Medigap policy also enroll in a stand-alone Part D drug plan. For 2026, Part D has a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap and a maximum deductible of $615. The old coverage gap ("donut hole") was eliminated in 2025, and there is now an optional Medicare Prescription Payment Plan that lets you spread drug costs across the year.

The North Carolina rules that shape your choice

Two things matter most when you shop here:

Your open enrollment window. For six months starting the month you are 65 and enrolled in Part B, you have a federal guaranteed-issue right to buy any Medigap policy sold in North Carolina, regardless of health history. Miss that window and, in most cases, an insurer can medically underwrite your application.

How the premium is rated. North Carolina insurers may use different pricing methods — issue-age, attained-age or community-rated — and that changes how your premium behaves as you get older. Two policies with the same letter and similar starting prices can look very different a decade in. Ask each insurer which method it uses before you decide.

Guaranteed-issue rights beyond the federal ones (for example, situations where you lose other coverage) are governed by state rules. The North Carolina Department of Insurance and SHIIP, the state's free counseling program, can confirm what applies to your situation.

How to compare policies sold in Greensboro

Because Greensboro sits in Guilford County, plan availability is set at the ZIP-code and county level. A few reliable places to look:

• Medicare.gov Medigap policy search. Enter your ZIP code to see every insurer licensed to sell each letter in your area.
• North Carolina Department of Insurance Medigap rate guide. The department publishes a comparison of premiums by insurer and age.
• SHIIP (the state's SHIP). Trained counselors will walk through the letters with you at no cost.

We do not name specific insurers in this article, and we do not quote premiums — prices change and depend on your age, tobacco use and ZIP code.