Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Fort Worth for 2026: the rules, resets and rate filings to watch

FORT WORTH, Texas — If you have a Medigap policy in Tarrant County, or you're thinking about buying one, a few things move at the turn of the year. The list of plan letters you're allowed to buy is still shaped by when you first became eligible for Medicare. Plans G and N are built around the Part B deductible, which resets every January. And this is the season when insurers file their new rates with the Texas Department of Insurance, so premium letters tend to land in mailboxes now through early next year.

Here's what Fort Worth readers should keep an eye on.

The plan-letter rules haven't changed, but they still trip people up

Medigap plans are standardized by letter across most of the country, including Texas. That means a Plan G from one insurer covers the same core benefits as a Plan G from another. What differs is the price and the customer service, not the benefits themselves.

The letters you can buy depend on when you first became eligible for Medicare:

• If you became eligible on or after January 1, 2020, you can buy Plans A, B, D, G, G-HD, K, L, M or N. Plans C and F are not available to you.
• If you became eligible before January 1, 2020, you may still buy or keep Plans C and F, along with the others.

This rule comes from federal law (MACRA), and it hasn't shifted for 2026. It's worth double-checking your eligibility date before you shop, because agents sometimes quote a plan letter that isn't actually open to you.

Why the Part B deductible reset matters for Plans G and N

Plans G and N are the two most commonly sold Medigap letters for people newly eligible today. Both are designed to kick in after you pay the Part B deductible each year.

That deductible resets every January 1. So if you see a doctor in early January, you'll likely pay the Part B deductible yourself before your Medigap plan starts covering the Part B coinsurance. Later in the year, once you've met it, your out-of-pocket costs for covered outpatient care generally drop.

None of that is a change in the rules — it's just how Plans G and N are built. But it does mean the first quarter of the year often feels more expensive than the fourth, and that surprises people every January.

For the exact 2026 Part B deductible amount, check medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Rate-adjustment season: what's actually happening

Unlike Medicare Advantage and Part D, Medigap premiums aren't set by CMS. In Texas, insurers file proposed rate changes with the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). Rates can vary by age, ZIP code, tobacco use, and how the insurer prices the policy (issue-age, attained-age, or community-rated).

If you get a letter this fall or winter saying your premium is changing, that's the rate filing showing up on your bill. A few practical steps:

1. Compare the new premium to what similar plans (same letter) cost from other insurers in your ZIP code, using the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search. 2. Look at TDI's Medigap rate guide for Texas — it's a public document that lays out how carriers price plans in the state. 3. Call the Texas SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) for free, unbiased help understanding your options.

Switching Medigap plans outside your initial open enrollment window can involve medical underwriting in Texas, so don't drop a policy until you know you're approved for a new one.

Insurers entering or leaving the Texas market

We don't have a confirmed list of insurers entering or exiting the Texas Medigap market for 2026 to share here. That's a fair question, though, and the answer is public: the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search will show every insurer currently offering Medigap in your Fort Worth ZIP code, and TDI tracks carrier filings for the state.

If your current insurer stops offering your plan, they're required to notify you. You'd then have a guaranteed-issue right to buy certain other Medigap plans without medical underwriting — but the specific rights depend on your situation, so verify with medicare.gov or SHIP before acting.

What Fort Worth readers should do this season

• Confirm which plan letters you qualify for based on your Medicare eligibility date.
• Read any premium change letter carefully and compare to other insurers in your ZIP code.
• Remember the Part B deductible resets January 1 if you're on Plan G or N.
• Use official tools: medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, the Texas Department of Insurance, and the Texas SHIP.

Medigap doesn't follow the October 15 – December 7 Annual Enrollment Period the way Medicare Advantage and Part D do. You can apply for Medigap year-round — but outside your one-time open enrollment window (the six months starting when you're 65 and enrolled in Part B), insurers in Texas can generally ask health questions.