Medicare Supplement

Why Medigap Benefits Are Identical Across Lancaster Carriers

LANCASTER, Texas — If you've ever looked at Original Medicare and wondered who pays the leftover bills, you're asking the right question. That's the gap Medicare Supplement insurance — better known as Medigap — is designed to fill.

Here in Lancaster, plenty of neighbors turning 65 run into the same puzzle: Original Medicare (Parts A and B) covers a lot, but not everything. Medigap is one way people handle what's left. Below is a plain-English walk-through of how it works, what the standardized letters mean, and where to get trustworthy answers.

What Medigap actually does

Medigap is private insurance you buy to work alongside Original Medicare. After Medicare pays its share of a covered service, your Medigap policy can pick up some or all of the remaining costs — things like the Part A hospital deductible, coinsurance, and copays.

A few important points to keep in mind:

• Medigap only works with Original Medicare. It does not work with Medicare Advantage.
• Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage. For that, you'd add a separate Part D plan.
• Medigap generally does not cover dental, vision, hearing aids, or long-term care.
• You pay a monthly premium for Medigap on top of your Part B premium.

You can read the official basics on Medicare.gov's Medigap page.

The letter plans, explained

Medigap policies are standardized by the federal government. That means a Plan G sold by one company covers the same core benefits as a Plan G sold by another — the price and customer service can differ, but the benefits inside the letter are set.

In most states, including Texas, Medigap plans are labeled with letters: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. Each letter is a different bundle of benefits. For example, some letters cover the Part B deductible; others don't. Some cap your yearly out-of-pocket spending; others pay a flat percentage of costs.

Two rules worth knowing:

• Plans C and F are only available to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. If you turned 65 after that date, those two letters are off the table for you.
• High-deductible versions exist for some letters (like G and F), which trade a lower premium for a higher upfront deductible.

Medicare.gov has a side-by-side chart of what each letter covers — it's the clearest way to compare.

Why the "when" matters more than most people realize

The single most important thing to understand about Medigap is timing.

You get a one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period — a six-month window that starts the month you're 65 and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurance companies must sell you any Medigap plan they offer at their best available rate, regardless of your health history.

Miss that window, and in most cases insurers can use medical underwriting. That means they can charge you more — or turn you down — based on pre-existing conditions. Texas does not have the broader year-round guaranteed-issue rules that a handful of other states have adopted, so this window really matters here.

How Medigap fits with the rest of Medicare in 2026

Medigap doesn't touch your drug coverage, but it helps to see the whole picture for 2026:

• Part D now has a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap on covered prescriptions.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone — as of 2025, Part D has three simpler phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly installments instead of paying a big bill at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA surcharges — extra premiums for higher earners — kick in above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

So a common setup for someone who prefers Original Medicare looks like: Part A + Part B + a Medigap letter plan + a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

A quick local note on choices

Lancaster is in Dallas County, where retirees have a wide range of Medicare options each year, including both Medicare Advantage plans and stand-alone Part D drug plans through multiple carriers. Medigap policies, on the other hand, are sold statewide by insurance companies licensed in Texas — the specific letters and pricing available to you depend on the carrier, your age, and when you enroll.

Because Medigap and Medicare Advantage are an either/or choice, it's worth thinking through both before you commit.

Enrollment dates to circle

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7 (for Part D and Medicare Advantage changes).
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31 (if you're already in an Advantage plan and want to switch or drop it).
• Medigap Open Enrollment: the six months starting when you're 65 and enrolled in Part B — this one is personal to you, not a calendar date.