Medicare Supplement

Same Medigap Plan G in Arlington, different price tags: how to compare insurers the right way

If you live in Arlington and you're shopping for a Medigap policy, here's a fact that surprises a lot of people: the coverage inside a Plan G is the same at every insurer that sells it. The federal government standardized these letters years ago. What changes from one company to the next is the price, how that price is set, whether the company will accept you, and the small extras like household discounts. That's why two neighbors in Tarrant County can both own "Plan G" and pay very different amounts each month.

Medicare SupplementArlington, TX

This guide walks through how to line those insurers up side by side — without pointing you toward any one company.

Start with the letter, not the company

Arlington sits in Tarrant County, and the Medigap plan letters available to people newly eligible for Medicare today are 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.

Once you've settled on a letter — most first-time buyers weigh Plan G, high-deductible Plan G, or Plan N — the benefits are locked. A Plan G from Insurer A pays the exact same share of your Part B coinsurance as a Plan G from Insurer B. So the shopping question isn't "which plan is better," it's "which insurer offers this same plan on terms that fit me."

The three ways Texas insurers price the same plan

This is the piece most people miss. Texas allows three pricing methods, and the same plan letter can be priced any of the three ways depending on the company:

• Attained-age rated. The premium is based on your current age and generally goes up as you get older. It often starts lower and rises over time.
• Issue-age rated. The premium is based on the age you were when you bought the policy. It doesn't rise just because you had a birthday, though it can still change for other reasons like inflation.
• Community rated. Everyone who buys the policy in that area pays the same base rate, regardless of age. Younger buyers pay more than they would elsewhere; older buyers usually pay less.

None of these is automatically the best deal. What matters is how the premium is likely to behave over the 10, 20 or 30 years you'll own it. When you compare two insurers offering the same letter, always ask which pricing method they use — it's the single biggest reason quotes differ.

Rate history is the quiet tiebreaker

A low starting premium doesn't mean much if the insurer raises rates aggressively every year. Texas insurers must file their rate changes with the state, and the Texas Department of Insurance publishes a Medigap rate guide that shows how each company's premiums have moved over time.

Before you commit, look up the past several years of rate increases for any insurer you're seriously considering. A company with a steady, modest history tells you something a first-year quote can't.

Household discounts and other small levers

Some insurers offer a household discount — often applied when you live with another adult, or specifically with another policyholder from the same company. The percentage varies, and so does the definition of who qualifies. Ask directly:

• Do you offer a household or spousal discount on this plan letter?
• Does the other person have to be a policyholder, or just share the address?
• Is the discount permanent, or does it phase out?

Payment method discounts (for electronic funds transfer, for example) and annual-pay options also show up at some carriers and not others.

Underwriting: when the insurer gets to say no

During your Medigap Open Enrollment Period — the six months that start when you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B — insurers in Texas must sell you any Medigap plan they offer, at their standard rate, regardless of your health. This is a one-time federal protection, and it's the friendliest window you'll ever have.

Outside that window, most Medigap applications in Texas are medically underwritten. The insurer can ask health questions, look at your prescriptions, and decline you or charge more. Some people qualify for a "guaranteed issue" right in specific situations (for example, losing certain employer coverage), but those are narrow.

Practical takeaway: if you're inside your open enrollment window, you have maximum leverage to shop across insurers. If you're outside it, ask each insurer's agent to run the health questions before you apply, so you don't get surprised.

How to actually build your comparison list

You have three reliable, no-cost tools:

1. Medicare.gov's Medigap policy search. Enter your Arlington ZIP code and it lists every insurer offering each plan letter in your area, along with sample premiums by age. 2. The Texas Department of Insurance Medigap rate guide. This shows filed rates and rate change history — the part Medicare.gov doesn't emphasize. 3. Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Texas's SHIP counselors are trained, free and don't sell anything. They'll walk you through the same comparison without a commission on the line.

The table below lists every plan letter available to new enrollees in Texas so you can see your options at a glance before you pull quotes.