Medicare Supplement

Before you renew your Medigap policy in Lubbock, read this

LUBBOCK, Texas — If you have a Medicare Supplement policy or you are shopping for one, a handful of things about Medigap are worth checking before the calendar flips to 2026. The plan letters you are allowed to buy have not changed, but the numbers those plans are built around do reset each January, and Texas insurers file new rates on their own schedules throughout the year.

Here is a plain-English look at what is shifting, what is not, and how to check the pieces that matter for your household.

What is not changing: the plan letters

Medigap policies are standardized by the federal government, which means a Plan G from one insurer covers the same core benefits as a Plan G from another. That has not changed for 2026.

What has been true since 2020 is still true: if you first became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, you cannot buy Plan C or Plan F. Those two plans pay the Part B deductible, and federal law closed them to newer enrollees. If you were eligible before that date — even if you have not enrolled yet — you may still be able to buy C or F from a carrier that sells them.

For everyone else, the menu is Plans A, B, D, G, G-HD (a high-deductible version of G), K, L, M, and N.

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

Every January 1, the Part B deductible resets. Medicare announces the new amount each fall. That reset matters for Medigap shoppers because two of the most common plans are built around it:

• Plan G covers almost everything Original Medicare leaves behind except the Part B deductible. You pay that deductible once per year; the plan picks up the rest.
• Plan N works similarly, with small copays for some office and emergency room visits, and it also leaves the Part B deductible to you.
• Plan G-HD (high-deductible G) requires you to meet a separate, higher plan deductible before benefits kick in.

None of that structure is changing for 2026 — but the dollar figure behind it does reset. Check Medicare.gov in late fall for the official 2026 Part B deductible so you know what to budget for.

Rate-adjustment season in Texas

Medigap premiums are not set by Medicare. Each insurer files its rates with the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), and those filings can happen at different points during the year. That is why two neighbors with the same Plan G, from two different companies, can pay very different premiums.

A few things to know:

• Texas does not have a yearly "open enrollment" for Medigap the way it does for Medicare Advantage or Part D. You can apply any time — but outside your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period (the six months starting when you are 65 and enrolled in Part B), insurers can use medical underwriting.
• If your current carrier raises your rate, you are allowed to shop. Whether you can switch without underwriting depends on your situation.
• Rate filings and consumer rate guides are posted at tdi.texas.gov. Medicare.gov's Medigap policy search also lets you compare carriers by ZIP code.

Insurers entering or leaving

The Texas Medigap market is crowded — the table below lists every insurer currently selling Medigap in Texas and which standardized plans each one offers. Carriers do occasionally stop selling new policies or add new plan letters, and those changes are reflected in the state's filings and on Medicare.gov as they take effect.

If you already own a Medigap policy, an insurer that stops selling new policies does not have to drop you — your existing coverage generally continues as long as you pay premiums. But if you are shopping, always confirm a carrier is still writing new business in your ZIP code before you spend time comparing.

Names you will see in the Texas roster include AARP - UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Aetna Health Insurance Company, BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, Humana (Emphesys Insurance Company), Mutual of Omaha, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, Texas Farm Bureau Health Plans, and United American Insurance Company, among many others in the table.

How to check your situation

A few practical steps before year-end:

1. Look up the 2026 Part B deductible on Medicare.gov once it is published. 2. If you already own a Medigap policy, watch the mail for your carrier's renewal notice — it will show any premium change. 3. Compare current rates on Medicare.gov's Medigap policy search (enter your Lubbock ZIP code) or the TDI consumer rate guide at tdi.texas.gov. 4. Call the Texas SHIP — the free counseling program — at 1-800-252-9240 if you want a neutral second opinion.