Medicare Supplement

Harris County Medigap: rules, resets, and rate filings

HOUSTON — If you have a Medigap policy in Harris County, or you are thinking about buying one, a few things are worth checking before the new plan year settles in. The plan letters you can buy, the deductible that two of the most popular plans are built around, and the premiums insurers charge all move on their own schedules — and 2026 is no exception.

Medicare SupplementHouston, TX

Here is a plain-English look at what is shifting for Medigap in Houston next year, and where to go for the numbers that apply to your ZIP code.

Which plan letters you can still buy in Texas

Medigap policies are standardized across most states, meaning 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.

If you are newly eligible for Medicare today, these are the standardized plans available to you in Texas: A, B, D, G, G-HD (a high-deductible version of G), K, L, M, and N.

Plans C and F are still sold, but only to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. That federal rule has not changed for 2026. If you already have a Plan C or F, you can keep it.

The Part B deductible resets January 1 — and it matters for G and N

Two of the plans people ask about most, Plan G and Plan N, are designed around the Part B deductible. With Plan G, you pay the Part B deductible out of pocket each year, and the plan picks up covered costs after that. Plan N works similarly, with small copays for some office and emergency visits.

The Part B deductible is set by the federal government and resets every January. The exact 2026 figure is published on Medicare.gov, and it is worth looking up before you compare plans, because it is the dollar amount you would be responsible for before Plan G kicks in.

High-deductible Plan G (G-HD) works the same way but with a much larger deductible that also resets annually. The current amount is on Medicare.gov.

Rate-adjustment season: how Texas premiums change

Medigap premiums are not set by Medicare. In Texas, insurers file their rates with the Texas Department of Insurance, and adjustments typically take effect on a schedule the carrier chooses — often on your policy anniversary rather than January 1.

Because of that, two neighbors in Houston with the same plan letter from different carriers can see rate changes at different times of year. A few things to know:

• Rate changes must be filed with the state before they take effect.
• The Texas Department of Insurance publishes a Medigap rate guide that shows sample premiums by age and ZIP code.
• Your renewal letter should state the new premium and the effective date.

If your premium is going up more than you expected, you can shop other carriers — but keep in mind that outside your one-time Medigap open enrollment window (the six months after you first enroll in Part B at 65 or older), insurers in Texas can use medical underwriting to decide whether to accept you and at what price.

Insurers entering or leaving Texas

Medigap carriers can add or drop plan letters, and new insurers do enter the Texas market from time to time. The most reliable way to see who is currently selling in your ZIP code is the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search. It pulls a live list of carriers licensed to sell each standardized plan letter in your area, along with contact information.

If a carrier stops selling new policies in Texas, existing policyholders generally keep their coverage — the change usually affects new applicants, not current ones. Read any notice from your insurer carefully, and call the company or your SHIP if the language is unclear.

What to do before the new plan year

A short checklist for Houston readers:

1. Look up the 2026 Part B deductible on Medicare.gov so you know the number Plan G or N is built around. 2. Watch your mailbox for a renewal notice from your Medigap carrier showing your 2026 premium. 3. If you want to compare, use the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search by ZIP and the Texas Department of Insurance rate guide. 4. Call the Texas SHIP (the state's free counseling program, known here as HICAP) for one-on-one help.

Note that Medigap is separate from Medicare Advantage. The Annual Enrollment Period from October 15 to December 7, and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment from January 1 to March 31, apply to Advantage and Part D plans — not Medigap. Medigap has its own enrollment rules.