Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Austin: which plan letters Texans can actually buy today

Medigap — also called Medicare Supplement Insurance — is a private policy that pays some of the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare leaves behind, like coinsurance and copays. Austin is in Travis County, and the rules that shape Medigap here are set mostly at the federal and state level, not the city level.

Medicare SupplementAustin, TX

What Medigap is, and what it does in Austin

The important thing to know up front: Medigap only pairs with Original Medicare. If you're on a Medicare Advantage plan, you cannot use a Medigap policy at the same time. And Medigap does not cover prescription drugs, so most people add a stand-alone Part D plan alongside it.

The plan letters you can buy in Texas today

Medigap plans are standardized by letter across most of the country, including Texas. That means a Plan G from one company covers the same basic federal benefits as a Plan G from another company. (Three states — Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin — use their own systems, but Texas follows the federal letters.)

If you became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, these are the letters available to you:

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

Plans C and F are still available, but only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. That's a federal rule, not a Texas one.

Each letter has its own mix of benefits — for example, some cover the Part B deductible, some don't; some share costs at set percentages; and the high-deductible option requires you to pay more upfront before the plan pays. Medicare.gov publishes a benefits chart that lays out exactly what each letter covers.

How Medigap and Part D work together

Because Medigap doesn't include drug coverage, most Austin residents who choose Original Medicare plus a Medigap policy also enroll in a Part D prescription drug plan. A few 2026 Part D facts worth knowing:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 for 2026.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old coverage gap (the "donut hole") was eliminated in 2025 — there are now three payment phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments if you want.
• IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D premiums begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

You can shop Part D plans on Medicare.gov during the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 through December 7.

Texas rules that shape your choice

Texas doesn't add extra federal letters, but a few state-level things matter:

Pricing method. Texas allows insurers to price Medigap policies in different ways — some by your age at purchase, some by your current age, and some at a community rate. Two policies with the same letter can cost very different amounts over time depending on the method, so it's worth asking how a given policy is priced before you sign.

Guaranteed issue and open enrollment. Federally, you get a six-month Medigap Open Enrollment window that starts the month you're 65 and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers can't turn you down or charge you more for health reasons. Outside that window, medical underwriting may apply in Texas unless you qualify for a guaranteed-issue right.

Where to check the details. The Texas Department of Insurance publishes a Medigap rate guide, and the state's free SHIP program (Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program, or HICAP) can answer questions specific to your situation.

How to compare policies in Travis County

There's no single insurer list we publish for Texas Medigap, so the fastest way to see what's for sale at your Austin ZIP code is:

1. Use the Medigap policy finder at Medicare.gov and enter your ZIP. 2. Cross-check with the Texas Department of Insurance rate guide. 3. Call the Texas SHIP for one-on-one help — the counseling is free and does not sell insurance.

Because benefits inside a letter are standardized, the questions to ask each company are mostly about price, how that price changes over time, customer service, and billing — not about what's covered.