Medicare Supplement

Medicare Supplement in Arlington: how the standardized letters work under Texas rules

Arlington sits in Tarrant County, and if you have Original Medicare here, a Medicare Supplement policy — often called Medigap — is one way to help handle the out-of-pocket costs Part A and Part B leave behind. The policies themselves are standardized by the federal government, so a "Plan G" in Arlington covers the same federal benefits as a "Plan G" anywhere else in Texas. What changes from insurer to insurer is the price and the pricing method. Here is how that works, and what Texas rules mean for your choice.

Medicare SupplementArlington, TX

What "standardized" really means

In most states, including Texas, Medigap plans are sold by letter. Every insurer that offers "Plan G," for example, must cover the same federally defined benefits under Plan G. That is true whether you buy the policy in Arlington, Fort Worth or El Paso.

Three states — Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin — standardize their plans differently. Texas is not one of them, so the federal letter system applies here.

Because the benefits inside each letter are fixed, the letter tells you what is covered. It does not tell you what the policy costs. That part depends on the insurer, your age, where you live, tobacco use and how the company prices its policies.

The letters you can buy in Arlington today

People newly eligible for Medicare can choose from these standardized letters in Texas:

• A and B — the more basic plans.
• D, G, and G High-Deductible — mid-range and comprehensive choices.
• K and L — cost-sharing plans with an annual out-of-pocket limit.
• M and N — plans with some cost sharing built in.

Plans C and F are still available, but only to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. If that is you, and you already have one of them, you can generally keep it.

The table below lists every letter available in this market. Which insurers sell which letter in your ZIP code is best confirmed through the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search.

How Medigap pairs with Original Medicare and Part D

Medigap only works alongside Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). It does not work with a Medicare Advantage plan. If you are on Advantage and want to switch to Original Medicare with a Medigap policy, timing and medical underwriting matter — more on that below.

Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage. To get drug coverage, you add a stand-alone Part D plan. A few Part D facts worth knowing for 2026:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old "donut hole" is gone — there are three phases now (as of 2025).
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments if you choose.
• Higher-income enrollees pay an IRMAA surcharge; for a single filer in 2026, that begins above $109,000 in income.

The Texas rules that shape your choice

Two things affect what you actually pay in Arlington:

1. Pricing method. Texas insurers can use different pricing methods — issue-age, attained-age, or community-rated. Two policies with the same letter and the same benefits can be priced very differently over time depending on the method the company uses. Before you buy, ask the insurer which method they use and how rates have changed in recent years.

2. When you can buy without medical underwriting. Your strongest federal protection is your Medigap Open Enrollment Period — the six months that start when 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 for your situation, without asking health questions.

Outside that window, insurers in Texas can generally use medical underwriting, unless you have a federal guaranteed-issue right (for example, if a plan is ending or you are moving out of its service area). Texas may offer additional rights beyond federal law; the Texas Department of Insurance and the state SHIP can walk you through them.

How to compare insurers in Arlington

Because we cannot recommend a company or quote a rate, here are the neutral tools worth using:

• Medicare.gov Medigap policy search — enter your Arlington ZIP code to see which insurers sell which letters.
• Texas Department of Insurance Medigap rate guide — a state-published comparison of premiums.
• Texas SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) — free, unbiased counseling for Medicare questions.
• 1-800-MEDICARE — for general Medicare questions and to confirm your enrollment periods.

When you compare, look at the same letter across insurers, ask about the pricing method, and ask how rates have changed over the past several years.