Medicare Supplement

Medigap in El Paso for 2026: the rule changes and deadlines Texas readers should know

EL PASO, Texas — As 2026 approaches, people in El Paso County who have or are shopping for a Medicare Supplement policy — better known as Medigap — should know a handful of rules and dates that shape what you can buy, what you'll pay, and when to check your rate.

Medigap isn't part of Medicare Advantage, and it doesn't follow the same fall enrollment window. But it does have its own rhythm: plan-letter eligibility set by federal law, annual rate filings reviewed by the Texas Department of Insurance, and a Part B deductible that resets every January and drives how Plans G and N work.

What Medigap is — and what isn't changing

Medigap is private insurance that pairs with Original Medicare (Parts A and B) to help cover costs like coinsurance and hospital deductibles. The plans are standardized by letter across the country, which means a Plan G from one insurer covers the same core benefits as a Plan G from another. What differs is the premium, the company's service, and sometimes small extras.

For 2026, the letter menu itself is not changing. In Texas, people newly eligible for Medicare can choose from Plans A, B, D, G, G-HD (high-deductible G), K, L, M and N. Plans C and F remain available only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020 — a federal rule that took effect with the MACRA law and continues to apply.

The Part B deductible reset — why Plans G and N care

Every January, the Part B deductible resets. That matters for Medigap because two of the most popular plans — G and N — are designed around it. With Plan G, you pay the Part B deductible for the year, and after that the plan picks up the Part B coinsurance. Plan N works similarly, with some office-visit and emergency-room copays layered on top.

The high-deductible version of Plan G (G-HD) takes this further: you pay a much larger yearly deductible before benefits begin, in exchange for a lower monthly premium.

CMS publishes the new Part B deductible each fall. Once it's announced, that figure is what you'll owe out of pocket in 2026 before your G or N plan starts paying its share. You can confirm the current number on medicare.gov.

Rate-adjustment season in Texas

Medigap premiums are not set by Medicare. Insurers file their rates with the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), and those filings are reviewed under state law. Rates can be based on your age when you bought the policy (issue-age), your current age (attained-age), or a community rate — and the method affects how your premium changes over time.

If you get a renewal notice this fall or winter that shows a different premium, that change was filed with TDI. You have a few ways to check it:

• The TDI Medigap rate guide lists premium ranges by plan letter and ZIP code for policies sold in Texas.
• The Medicare.gov Medigap policy search lets you enter your El Paso ZIP code and see the companies licensed to sell each plan letter in your area, along with contact information.
• The Texas SHIP (called the Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program, or HICAP) offers free, unbiased counseling.

Insurers entering or leaving

Unlike Medicare Advantage, where CMS publishes a fixed county-by-county roster each year, Medigap carriers can file to enter or leave the Texas market at different times. There is no single public "who's new for 2026" list we can point to here. The most reliable, current view is the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search by ZIP code, which reflects the companies currently licensed to sell each plan letter where you live.

If you're already enrolled and your insurer sends notice of a change, read it carefully. A rate change is not the same as an insurer leaving, and either way you have options — but the options depend on Texas rules about switching.

A note on switching in Texas

One rule that trips up El Paso readers: Texas does not require insurers to accept you for a new Medigap policy outside of your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period (which starts when you're 65 and enrolled in Part B) or a limited set of guaranteed-issue situations. That means if you try to switch plans later, an insurer can medical-underwrite you — ask health questions and decide whether to sell you the policy and at what price.

This is a good reason to compare carefully before you buy the first time, and to check the TDI rate guide before assuming a switch will get you a better deal.

Where to get help in El Paso

• Medicare.gov — plan finder, Medigap policy search, and the 2026 Part B deductible figure once published.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24/7 help from CMS.
• Texas SHIP / HICAP — free one-on-one counseling for Texas Medicare beneficiaries.
• Texas Department of Insurance — Medigap rate guide and consumer help line.