Medicare Supplement

Hamilton County Medigap: Three Things Shifting in 2027

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Heading into 2027, Medigap shoppers in Hamilton County face the same three-part rhythm that shapes this market every year: which standardized plan letters they can buy, the annual reset of the Part B deductible that Plans G and N are built around, and the rate filings insurers submit to the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. None of these are dramatic overnight changes — but together they decide what a Medigap policy will look like and cost for the coming year.

Here is a plain-English snapshot of what is moving, what is not, and how to check the pieces that will not be final until closer to January.

Which plan letters you can buy in 2027

The lineup of standardized Medigap plans is set by federal rules, not by the city or the calendar year. For anyone newly eligible for Medicare in 2027, the plans on the menu are A, B, D, G, G-HD (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 cutoff does not change in 2027. If you already have a C or F policy, you can keep it — but a neighbor who ages into Medicare next year cannot buy one.

Every Medigap plan with the same letter covers the same things, no matter which insurer sells it. A Plan G from one carrier pays the same standardized benefits as a Plan G from another. What differs is the premium, the customer service, and sometimes extras like household discounts.

Why the Part B deductible reset matters for Plans G and N

Plans G and N — the two most common choices for people new to Medicare — are designed around the Part B deductible. With Plan G, you pay the Part B deductible once each year, and the plan picks up most of what Medicare Part B does not after that. Plan N works similarly, with some office-visit and emergency-room copays.

That deductible resets every January 1. CMS sets the new number for 2027 and posts it at medicare.gov, usually in the fall. Because that dollar amount is baked into how G and N work, it is worth checking the official figure before you finalize any decision for the new year rather than relying on last year's number.

Rate-adjustment season in Tennessee

Medigap premiums are not frozen. Insurers can — and typically do — file rate adjustments with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. Those filings are reviewed by the state before they take effect, and they are public information.

If you want to know whether your carrier has filed a change for 2027, you have a few options:

• Call the insurer directly and ask for the renewal rate for your plan and ZIP code.
• Contact the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, which reviews Medigap filings.
• Call your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), known in Tennessee as TN SHIP, for free one-on-one help.

Because Tennessee is not a "community-rated" state for every carrier, rates can also vary based on age, tobacco use, and when you enrolled. Two neighbors on the same plan letter, with the same insurer, can pay different amounts.

Insurers selling Medigap in Tennessee

Chattanooga is in Hamilton County, and Tennessee's Medigap market is broad — well over two dozen insurers file to sell standardized plans in the state. The full table on this page lists every insurer and the specific plan letters each offers.

A few things worth noticing when you scan that list:

• Not every insurer sells every letter. Some focus on A, F, G and N; others also offer high-deductible versions or the less common K, L or M.
• Because Plans C and F are closed to newly eligible enrollees, a carrier listing those plans does not mean a new-to-Medicare shopper in 2027 can buy them.
• Insurers can enter or exit the state between plan years. If a carrier drops out, existing policies typically continue under specific rules, but new applications stop. The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance keeps the current list of active Medigap carriers.

How Medigap enrollment timing works

Medigap does not use the October 15 – December 7 Annual Enrollment Period that Medicare Advantage and Part D use. That AEP window matters for other Medicare choices, but Medigap has its own rules.

Your strongest protection is the six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period that starts the month you are 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 class, regardless of your health.

Outside that window, in most cases, Tennessee insurers can use medical underwriting — meaning they can ask health questions and decide whether to offer you a policy and at what price. There are limited "guaranteed issue" situations (for example, when certain other coverage ends). If you think one of those applies to you, call 1-800-MEDICARE or TN SHIP before you apply.