Medicare Supplement

Before you shop Medigap in Austin, check these resets

AUSTIN — As 2027 approaches, Medigap shoppers in Austin are looking at a familiar set of moving parts: which standardized plan letters they can buy, how the Part B deductible reset affects popular plans like G and N, and the annual rate filings that insurers submit to the state. Nothing about the core Medigap rulebook is being rewritten for the coming year, but the numbers and prices around it do shift every year — and knowing where to look matters more than guessing.

Austin sits in Travis County, and Medigap policies in Texas are sold on a statewide basis rather than county by county. That means an Austin resident, a Round Rock neighbor across the Williamson County line, and a shopper in Houston generally see the same standardized plan letters — but not necessarily the same prices.

Which Medigap plans you can buy in 2027

The Medigap "plan letters" are standardized by federal law. That means a Plan G from one insurer covers the same core benefits as a Plan G from another — the differences are price, customer service, and any small extras a carrier adds on top.

For anyone newly eligible for Medicare, the available plan letters in Texas for 2027 are:

• Plan A
• Plan B
• Plan D
• Plan G
• Plan G High-Deductible (Plan G-HD)
• Plan K
• Plan L
• Plan M
• Plan N

Plans C and F are still available, but only to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. If that is you, you can keep an existing Plan C or F, and in many cases you can still buy one. If you turned 65 in 2020 or later, those two plans are off the table.

The Part B deductible reset (and why G and N shoppers care)

Every January 1, the Part B deductible resets. Two of the most popular Medigap plans — Plan G and Plan N — are built directly around that number:

• Plan G covers almost everything Original Medicare leaves behind after you meet the Part B deductible. So the deductible is essentially the one out-of-pocket medical bill a Plan G member is asked to pay each year before the plan fills in the rest.
• Plan N works similarly on the deductible, and then layers in small copays for some office and emergency room visits.
• Plan G High-Deductible uses a much larger deductible set in federal rules before benefits begin.

For 2027, the specific Part B deductible amount will be announced by CMS later this fall, as it is every year. When that figure comes out, it applies uniformly across the country — Austin, Amarillo and everywhere else.

Rate-adjustment season in Texas

Medigap premiums are not set by Medicare. In Texas, each insurer files proposed rates with the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), and those filings are what actually drive what an Austin resident pays month to month. Rates can change based on the insurer's claims experience, medical inflation, and the age-rating method the carrier uses.

A few practical points for Austin shoppers:

• Two people buying the same Plan G in the same ZIP code can pay very different premiums depending on the insurer.
• Texas allows insurers to use different rating methods (for example, community-rated, issue-age-rated, or attained-age-rated). That affects how your premium changes as you get older.
• A rate increase on your current plan does not automatically mean you should switch — but it is a good prompt to compare.

To see current filings and consumer rate guides, TDI publishes materials at tdi.texas.gov.

Insurers entering or leaving the Texas market

Unlike Medicare Advantage, where CMS publishes a clear annual list of plan entrances and exits, Medigap carrier changes in Texas are tracked through state insurance filings rather than a single federal roster. We are not naming specific insurers in this article because a verified Austin-specific carrier list is not available in our source data.

The reliable ways to see who is actually selling Medigap in your ZIP code right now:

1. Medicare.gov Medigap policy search — enter your Austin ZIP code to see every insurer offering each plan letter and a current premium estimate. 2. Texas Department of Insurance Medigap rate guide — shows filed rates by carrier and plan letter. 3. Texas SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) — free one-on-one counseling, no sales pitch.

Your Medigap enrollment rights still matter most

The biggest single factor in what you pay for Medigap is not the year — it is when you buy it.

• Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is the six months that start the month you are 65 and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers must sell you any plan they offer at their best available rate, regardless of your health history.
• Outside that window, in most cases, Texas insurers can use medical underwriting — meaning they can charge more, or decline coverage, based on your health.
• A handful of "guaranteed issue" situations (such as losing certain other coverage) can reopen protected enrollment rights.

If your 65th birthday and Part B start date are coming up in 2027, that six-month window is the single most important date on your Medigap calendar.

How to check your options for 2027

1. Go to medicare.gov and use the Medigap policy search with your Austin ZIP code. 2. Pick two or three plan letters that fit how you use care (Plan G, Plan N and Plan G-HD are the most common comparisons). 3. Compare premiums across insurers for the same plan letter — since benefits are standardized, the letter tells you the coverage. 4. Call the Texas SHIP or 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for free help. 5. If you have questions about a specific insurer's rate history, look them up on the TDI website.