Medicare Supplement

Before You Buy Medigap in Dallas, Check These Four Things

If you live in Dallas and you are shopping for a Medicare Supplement policy, the first thing worth knowing is this: a Plan G from one company covers exactly the same medical costs as a Plan G from any other company. The letter is the coverage. What actually differs between insurers is the price you pay, how that price changes as you age, whether you get a household discount, and whether the company will accept you if you apply outside your one-time open enrollment window.

Medicare SupplementDallas, TX

Here is how to sort through the Texas market without getting lost.

The plan letters you can buy in Texas

If you became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, the standardized Medigap letters available to you are A, B, D, G, G-HD (High-Deductible G), K, L, M and N. Plans C and F are only sold to people who were eligible for Medicare before that date.

The letter tells you exactly what the plan covers — coinsurance, hospital days, Part B excess charges, and so on. Federal law locks that in. So when you compare, you are not comparing benefits. You are comparing companies.

How to find out which insurers sell Medigap in Dallas

Texas does not publish a single central roster of Medigap carriers, so the fastest way to see who is selling in Dallas County is to use the tools built for exactly this:

• Medicare.gov Medigap policy search. Enter your Dallas ZIP code at medicare.gov and choose a plan letter. You will get a list of every insurer licensed to sell that letter to you, with contact information.
• Texas Department of Insurance rate guide. TDI publishes a Medicare Supplement rate guide that shows companies operating in Texas and sample premium ranges by age. It is free.
• Texas SHIP (called HICAP in some materials). State-trained counselors can walk you through what is available in your ZIP with no sales pressure.

Once you have the list, the real comparison begins.

The three pricing methods — this is what actually moves the price

Two insurers can sell the identical Plan G and price it very differently, because Texas allows three rating methods:

• Attained-age rated. The premium is based on your current age and goes up as you get older. It often starts lower and rises over time.
• Issue-age rated. The premium is based on your age when you bought the policy. It doesn't increase just because you had a birthday, though it can still rise for other reasons.
• Community rated. Everyone in the same area pays the same premium regardless of age. New buyers at 80 pay what new buyers at 65 pay.

None of these is automatically "better." What matters is how the rates behave over 10 or 20 years, not just year one. Ask each insurer which method they use, then ask for their rate history — the actual percentage increases they have taken in Texas over the last five to ten years. A company with modest, steady increases can be very different from one with a low starting price and steep jumps later.

Household discounts and other price levers

Many insurers offer a household discount — often around 5% to 12% — if you live with another adult, or if a spouse or partner also has a policy with them. Rules vary: some require the other person to also have a Medigap plan with them, some just require you to share an address, some require marriage. Always ask.

Other things that can move your quote:

• Whether you use tobacco.
• Which ZIP code you live in inside Dallas County (rates can vary within the county).
• Whether you pay annually, semi-annually or monthly, and by what method.

Underwriting: the rule that changes everything

Timing is the single biggest factor most people overlook.

During your Medigap Open Enrollment Period — the six months that start the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B — insurers in Texas must sell you any Medigap plan they offer, at their standard rate, with no health questions. This is a one-time federal right.

Outside that window, most insurers can use medical underwriting: they can ask about your health, charge more, or decline you. Some limited "guaranteed issue" situations exist (for example, losing certain other coverage), but they are narrow.

Practically, this means:

• If you are in your open enrollment window, compare freely on price and rate history.
• If you are past it and healthy, you can still shop, but each carrier's underwriting rules matter as much as price.
• If you are past it and have significant health issues, talk to a SHIP counselor before you cancel any existing coverage.

Putting the comparison together

The table on this page (and the Medicare.gov search) shows the insurers selling each plan letter in your ZIP. When you sit down to compare the same letter across two or three of them, ask each one:

1. What is your rating method — attained-age, issue-age or community? 2. What have your rate increases been in Texas over the last five years? 3. Do you offer a household discount, and what qualifies? 4. Am I in open enrollment, or will I need to answer health questions?

Same coverage, four honest questions, real differences.