Medicare Supplement

Medicare Supplement coverage explained for Bedford residents

BEDFORD, Texas — If you've spent any time on Medicare's website or talked with a friend who just turned 65, you've probably heard about "Medigap." It's one of the most misunderstood parts of Medicare — and one of the most useful to understand before you make a coverage decision.

Here in Bedford, and across Tarrant County, Original Medicare beneficiaries have the option to buy a Medicare Supplement Insurance policy (Medigap) from a private insurance company. These policies don't replace Medicare. They sit alongside it and help pay some of the costs Original Medicare leaves behind. Here's how they work.

What Medigap actually does

Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) pays a large share of your hospital and doctor bills, but not all of it. You're still responsible for things like the Part A hospital deductible, the Part B 20% coinsurance, and other out-of-pocket amounts that don't have a yearly cap.

A Medigap policy is designed to fill in some — or most — of those gaps. Depending on which policy you choose, it may pay your coinsurance, copayments, deductibles, or a share of costs for care when you travel outside the U.S.

Two important things to remember:

• Medigap works only with Original Medicare. It does not work with Medicare Advantage.
• Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage. For that, you'd add a separate Part D plan.

How the standardized letters work

This is where a lot of people get lost. In most states, including Texas, Medigap policies are standardized by the federal government. That means a Plan G sold by one company covers the exact same benefits as a Plan G sold by another company. The price and customer service may differ — the covered benefits do not.

The plans are labeled by letter: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. Each letter is a different package of benefits.

A few notes worth knowing:

• Plans C and F are no longer available to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. If you were eligible before that date, you may still be able to buy them.
• Plans K and L have lower premiums but include an annual out-of-pocket limit and cost-sharing.
• Plan N typically has small copays for some office and emergency room visits.

Because the benefits are standardized, comparing Medigap policies is really about comparing price, the company's reputation, and how they handle rate increases over time.

When you can buy a Medigap policy

The best window to buy is your Medigap Open Enrollment Period — a six-month window that starts the month you're 65 and enrolled in Part B. During this window, insurance companies can't turn you down or charge you more because of health problems.

Outside that window, in most cases, insurers in Texas can use medical underwriting. That means they can ask health questions and, in some situations, deny coverage or charge more. This is one of the most important rules to understand before you drop a Medigap policy or wait to enroll.

Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage — they're not the same

This trips up a lot of people. Medicare Advantage (Part C) is a different way to get your Medicare benefits, offered by private insurers approved by Medicare. It usually bundles hospital, medical, and often drug coverage into one plan, with its own network and rules.

Medigap is not an alternative to Medicare Advantage — it's an add-on to Original Medicare. You can't have both a Medigap policy and a Medicare Advantage plan at the same time.

Bedford is in Tarrant County, where residents have a wide range of Medicare Advantage plans available during the fall Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7). But Medigap policies are sold year-round and follow their own enrollment rules, not the AEP calendar.

What Medigap doesn't cover

Even the most comprehensive Medigap plan leaves some things out. Generally, Medigap policies do not cover:

• Prescription drugs (you'll need a separate Part D plan)
• Long-term care (like a nursing home stay for custodial care)
• Vision or dental care
• Hearing aids
• Eyeglasses
• Private-duty nursing

If those benefits matter to you, plan for them separately.

A quick word on 2026 Part D

Because Medigap doesn't include drug coverage, most people with a Medigap policy also enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan. For 2026, a few program-level facts are worth knowing:

• The annual out-of-pocket cap for Part D is $2,100.
• The maximum Part D deductible is $615.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap has been eliminated as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly installments if you choose.
• IRMAA surcharges (higher premiums for higher-income beneficiaries) begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.