Medicare Supplement

Before You Compare Medigap Plans in El Paso

If you live in El Paso and you're shopping for a Medicare Supplement policy — better known as Medigap — the confusing part usually isn't which letter to pick. It's figuring out why the same plan letter can look so different from one insurance company to the next. In Texas, several insurers sell the same standardized Medigap plans, and the coverage inside each letter is set by federal rules. What changes is the price, how that price is set, and how easy it is to switch later.

Medicare SupplementEl Paso, TX

Here's a plain-English guide to comparing Medigap insurers in El Paso County, and where to find the current list of companies selling policies in your ZIP code.

The plan letters you can buy in Texas today

Medigap plans are standardized by the federal government. If you're newly eligible for Medicare, the letters available to you in Texas are A, B, D, G, high-deductible G, K, L, M, and N. Plans C and F are only available to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.

Because the benefits inside each letter are identical across insurers, "shopping" really means comparing price, service, and stability — not coverage.

Who sells Medigap in El Paso

Medigap is regulated at the state level, and the list of insurers licensed to sell in Texas changes over time. Rather than relying on any single list, El Paso residents have three trustworthy places to check who's actively selling in their ZIP code:

• The Medicare.gov Medigap policy search — enter your ZIP code and it returns every company selling Medigap in your area, along with the plan letters each one offers.
• The Texas Department of Insurance Medigap rate guide, which publishes premium ranges by company and age band.
• Your Texas SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) counselor, who can walk you through the current list at no cost.

The three pricing methods — and why they matter

Two neighbors in El Paso can buy the exact same Plan G from two different insurers and pay very different premiums as the years go by. That's because Texas allows three different pricing methods:

• Community-rated (no-age-rated). Everyone with that policy pays roughly the same premium regardless of age. Premiums still rise with inflation, but not because you're getting older.
• Issue-age-rated. Your premium is based on the age you were when you bought the policy. It won't go up simply because you have another birthday, though it can still rise with inflation.
• Attained-age-rated. Your premium starts lower at younger ages and increases as you age. This is the most common method in Texas.

Ask each insurer — or check the state rate guide — which method they use for the plan letter you're considering. A lower starting premium on an attained-age policy may not stay lower over 10 or 20 years.

Rate history: the number most people forget to ask about

Because Medigap premiums can rise every year, an insurer's rate history — how often and how much they've raised premiums — is often more telling than the first year's price. The Texas Department of Insurance rate guide and your SHIP counselor can help you look at multi-year trends before you commit.

Household discounts and other price levers

Some Texas insurers offer a household discount (sometimes called a spousal or multi-insured discount) when two people in the same home each buy a policy from that company. The rules vary — some require you to live with another adult, not just a spouse; others apply only if both people take out policies at the same time. It's worth asking directly.

Other levers that can move price at the same insurer include tobacco use and whether you're within your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period.

Underwriting: the rule that changes everything

This is the piece that trips up the most El Paso shoppers. During your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period — which begins the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B — insurers must sell you any Medigap policy they offer at their standard rate, regardless of your health.

After that window closes, Texas insurers can generally use medical underwriting. That means they can ask health questions and can decline you, charge more, or delay coverage based on your history. There are limited "guaranteed issue" situations (such as losing other coverage through no fault of your own), but they're narrow.

The practical takeaway: if you want the widest choice of insurers in El Paso at the friendliest price, your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is the moment to shop.

How to actually compare the same letter across insurers

A useful side-by-side looks like this for each company selling the letter you want in your ZIP code:

1. Pricing method (community, issue-age, or attained-age). 2. Current premium at your age (from Medicare.gov or the Texas rate guide). 3. Rate increase history over the last several years. 4. Household discount eligibility. 5. Whether you'd need to pass underwriting to switch to them later.

The table on this page lists every plan letter you can buy in Texas today. Match a letter to your budget and health needs first — then compare the insurers offering it.