Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Brownsville: the plan letters Texans can still buy, and how they work

Medigap is private insurance that helps pay some of the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare leaves behind — things like the Part A hospital deductible, coinsurance and copays. It rides alongside Original Medicare. It is not Medicare Advantage, and you cannot own both at once.

What Medigap is, and what it is not

Brownsville is in Cameron County, and the Medigap rules that apply here are set at the federal level and by the state of Texas — not by the city. That means a Brownsville resident and a neighbor in Harlingen shop from the same standardized menu of plan letters.

The plan letters you can buy in Texas today

Medigap plans are standardized by letter across most of the country, including Texas. A "Plan G" from one insurer covers the same Medicare-approved services as a "Plan G" from another insurer — the differences are in price, customer service and extras, not in the core benefits.

For people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, these letters are on the menu:

• A, B, D, G, G-HD, K, L, M and N.

Plans C and F (and the high-deductible F) are still sold, but only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. That is a federal rule tied to the Part B deductible, not a Texas quirk.

Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin standardize their Medigap plans differently — that does not apply here in Texas.

How Medigap pairs with Original Medicare and Part D

Think of it as three pieces working together:

1. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) pays first for hospital and medical services. 2. Your Medigap plan picks up much of what Medicare leaves behind, depending on the letter you chose. 3. A stand-alone Part D plan covers your prescription drugs.

Medigap does not include drug coverage for people who joined Medicare after 2005, so most Brownsville shoppers will want to enroll in a separate Part D plan during their Initial Enrollment Period or during the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 – December 7.

A few 2026 Part D facts worth keeping in mind:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026.
• The Part D deductible cannot be more than $615.
• The old "donut hole" is gone as of 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in level monthly amounts.
• IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

The Texas rules that shape your choice

Two federal protections matter most:

• Medigap Open Enrollment. For six months starting the month your Part B is effective and you are 65 or older, any insurer selling Medigap in Texas must sell you any plan they offer, at their best available rate, without asking health questions.
• Guaranteed issue rights. In specific situations — for example, if you lose other coverage through no fault of your own — federal law gives you a limited window to buy certain plans without underwriting.

Outside those windows, Texas insurers can use medical underwriting, which means your health history can affect whether you are accepted and what you pay. Texas does not have a statewide "birthday rule" like California or Oregon, so once your Open Enrollment window closes, switching plans usually means answering health questions.

Texas also has Medicare Select policies — a Medigap variation that uses a network of hospitals. They are legal in Texas, but read the network rules carefully before signing.

For questions about your specific rights, call the Texas Department of Insurance at 1-800-252-3439, or the Texas SHIP (HICAP) at 1-800-252-9240. Both are free.

Who sells Medigap in Texas

The table below lists every insurer that Medicare.gov shows selling Medigap in Texas, along with the plan letters each one offers. A few examples of what that looks like:

• Big national names on the list include AARP – UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Aetna Health Insurance Company, Humana (Emphesys Insurance Company), Mutual of Omaha (Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company) and BlueCross BlueShield of Texas.
• Texas-focused options include Texas Farm Bureau Health Plans.
• Some insurers still offer the closed Plan C or Plan F to people who qualify by their eligibility date, including Old Surety Life Insurance Company, Philadelphia American Life Insurance Company, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company and Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation.

Because every Plan G is the same Plan G by law, the shopping question is really about price, the insurer's rate history, customer service and whether the company plans to stay in Texas long-term. We do not — and cannot — say which insurer is best; that depends on your budget, your doctors and your health.

How to decide, step by step

1. Confirm you want Original Medicare rather than Medicare Advantage. Medigap only works with Original Medicare. 2. Check your enrollment window. If you are inside your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment, you have the widest choice and the strongest rights. 3. Pick a plan letter first, then compare insurers. Since benefits are identical by letter, this makes shopping simpler. 4. Add a Part D plan during your enrollment window so your drugs are covered. 5. Get help. Call 1-800-MEDICARE, visit medicare.gov, or call the Texas SHIP for one-on-one counseling that is free and unbiased.