Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Raleigh for 2026: the plan-letter rules, the Part B reset and rate season

RALEIGH — If you have a Medigap policy in Wake County, or you are shopping for one this fall, a handful of moving parts reset every year: which lettered plans you are allowed to buy, the Part B deductible that Plans G and N are designed around, and the rate filings insurers submit to the state. None of these are dramatic overhauls, but together they shape what a policy looks like and costs in 2026.

Medicare SupplementRaleigh, NC

What is (and isn't) changing about plan letters

Medigap plans are standardized by letter across most states, including North Carolina. That has not changed for 2026. If you are newly eligible for Medicare today, you can choose from Plans A, B, D, G, high-deductible G, K, L, M and N.

Plans C and F are still around, but only for people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. That rule is federal, and it is not going away. If you have a C or F today, you can keep it; you generally cannot switch into one if you did not qualify before that cutoff date.

The practical takeaway for Raleigh shoppers turning 65 in 2026: your realistic short list starts with G, high-deductible G and N, plus the cost-sharing plans (K, L, M) and the more basic A, B and D.

The yearly Part B deductible reset

Plans G and N are built around the Part B deductible. With Plan G, you pay that deductible out of pocket each year, and the plan then covers the Part B coinsurance. Plan N works similarly, with some office and emergency-room copays layered on.

That deductible amount is set by the federal government and resets every January 1. Medicare publishes the new figure late in the fall. It matters because:

• Your January medical bills often feel higher than December's — you are starting the deductible over.
• When you compare Plan G quotes, the deductible is the same dollar figure at every insurer. What changes between insurers is the premium.
• High-deductible Plan G uses a separate, larger deductible that also resets annually.

For the current-year figure, check medicare.gov or ask your provider's billing office.

Rate-adjustment season in North Carolina

Medigap premiums are not set by Medicare or by the plan letter. They are set by each insurer and filed with the North Carolina Department of Insurance. Rate changes typically take effect on a schedule tied to your policy anniversary, not January 1, so two neighbors on the same lettered plan can see increases at different times of year.

If your renewal notice arrives and the new premium surprises you, you have options:

• Ask the insurer to confirm the filed rate change and the reason (age, claims experience, inflation).
• Compare quotes for the same lettered plan from other insurers using the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search.
• Look at the North Carolina Department of Insurance's Medigap rate guide, which lists premiums by company and age.

One important caveat: outside your initial Medigap open enrollment window (the six months after you first enroll in Part B at 65), insurers in North Carolina can generally use medical underwriting when you apply to switch. That means health questions, and possibly a decline. Do not cancel your current policy until a new one is approved in writing.

Insurers entering or leaving the state

Medigap is a more stable market than Medicare Advantage. Insurers do occasionally add or drop lettered plans in North Carolina, or stop writing new business here, but a departure rarely forces you off a policy you already own — Medigap policies are guaranteed renewable as long as you pay the premium.

There is no statewide list of Medigap insurers published here. To see who currently sells Medigap in Raleigh:

1. Go to Medicare.gov and use the Medigap policy search with a Raleigh ZIP code. 2. Compare the same lettered plan (say, Plan G) across every insurer that shows up. 3. Cross-check with the North Carolina Department of Insurance's Medigap rate guide.

How this fits with the rest of your Medicare picture

Medigap only pays after Original Medicare. It does not include drug coverage, so most Medigap enrollees also carry a stand-alone Part D plan. A few 2026 Part D facts worth knowing while you are reviewing everything:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026.
• The maximum Part D deductible is $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments.
• IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

The Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment (January 1 – March 31) are for Part D and Medicare Advantage decisions. Medigap does not have a once-a-year enrollment window — you can apply any time, subject to underwriting outside your protected periods.