Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Providence: the plan letters Rhode Islanders can still buy

If you live in Providence and you want Original Medicare with a Medigap policy to help fill in the gaps, the good news is that the plan letters are federally standardized. That means a Plan G sold by one insurer covers the same things as a Plan G sold by another. What changes is the company selling it, and the price. Here is what you can actually buy in Rhode Island today, how these policies pair with the rest of Medicare, and where to get help before you sign anything.

Medicare SupplementProvidence, RI

What Medigap is — and what it is not

Medigap, also called Medicare Supplement Insurance, is a private policy that pays some of the costs Original Medicare leaves behind. That usually means things like the Part A hospital deductible, coinsurance and copays. It does not replace Medicare — you keep Parts A and B, and Medicare pays first.

A Medigap policy is not a Medicare Advantage plan. You cannot have both at the same time. And Medigap does not cover prescription drugs, dental, vision or hearing on its own. If you want drug coverage, you pair Medigap with a stand-alone Part D plan.

The plan letters you can buy in Rhode Island

Rhode Island follows the federal standardized Medigap letters (Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin do things differently, but Rhode Island does not). If you became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, you can choose from:

• Plans A, B, D, G, G-HD, K, L, M and N

Plans C and F are still sold, but only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. That is a federal rule, not a Rhode Island one.

Every lettered plan of the same letter covers the same core benefits, no matter which company sells it. A Plan N from one insurer covers the same items as a Plan N from another. What differs is the monthly premium, the company's customer service, and how they handle rate changes over time.

Who sells Medigap in the Providence area

In Providence County (ZIP 02903), the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search lists 12 insurers offering some combination of Plans A, B, C, D, F, F-HD, G, G-HD, K, L and N. The table below lists every insurer and the letters they sell in Rhode Island.

A few examples to show the range: AARP - UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company sells Plans A, B, C, F, G, K, L and N. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island sells Plans A, F, G and N. Humana sells Plans A, B, C, F, F-HD, G, G-HD, K and L. United American Insurance Company offers the widest letter mix in the state, including Plans A, B, C, D, F, F-HD, G, G-HD, K, L and N. Naming these companies is not a recommendation — it is just what is listed. Prices and availability change, so verify on Medicare.gov before you apply.

How Medigap pairs with Part D and Original Medicare

The typical Providence setup for someone who wants predictable costs looks like this:

• Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) pays first for hospital and medical care.
• A Medigap policy picks up much of what Medicare leaves behind, based on the plan letter you choose.
• A stand-alone Part D plan covers prescription drugs.

For 2026, Part D has a $2,100 out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs and a maximum deductible of $615. The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases. If your drug costs are uneven month to month, you can also opt into the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which spreads them out.

Higher-income enrollees pay IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D; for 2026 those begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

The state rules that shape your choice

Two federal rules matter most when you first sign up:

• Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is the six months that start the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During this window, insurers cannot turn you down or charge you more for health reasons.
• Outside that window, insurers in most states can use medical underwriting — unless you have a federal guaranteed-issue right (for example, if your Medicare Advantage plan leaves the area).

Some states add extra protections, like "birthday rules" or broader guaranteed-issue windows. Rhode Island's specific consumer protections and any current rate-filing information are handled through the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation's Insurance Division and explained by the state's SHIP program, called POINT (also known as THE POINT or the Rhode Island SHIP). Call them before you switch — the rules on when you can change Medigap plans without health questions are the single most important thing to check.

How to decide which letter fits

There is no "best" Medigap plan. The right letter depends on how you want to handle costs and how often you expect to use care. A few questions that help:

• Do you want the most predictable bills, or are you comfortable paying some cost-sharing in exchange for a lower premium?
• Do you travel often, including outside the U.S.?
• Are you eligible for Plans C or F (that is, were you Medicare-eligible before January 1, 2020)?
• How does the premium look today, and what has the insurer's rate history been?

Because every Plan G is the same Plan G by federal rule, the shopping question is really about the company, the premium and how they raise rates over time. Get quotes from more than one insurer for the same letter before you decide.

Where to get unbiased help

• Medicare.gov has a Medigap policy search that shows every insurer selling each letter in your ZIP code.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) can answer questions 24/7.
• Rhode Island's SHIP (POINT) offers free, one-on-one counseling. They do not sell anything.
• The Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, Insurance Division, handles Medigap rate filings and complaints.

Two dates worth writing down: Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7 (that is for Part D and Medicare Advantage, not Medigap), and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31. Medigap has its own rules and is not tied to those windows.