Medicare Supplement

Medigap in Lubbock: which plan letters Texans can still buy in 2026

If you live in Lubbock and want Original Medicare to feel more predictable, a Medigap policy — also called Medicare Supplement Insurance — is the piece that helps pay some of what Parts A and B leave behind. Texas follows the federal standardized lettering system, so a Plan G bought in Lubbock covers the same things as a Plan G bought anywhere else in the state. What changes from company to company is the price and the service, not the benefits inside each letter.

This guide walks through the letters you can buy today in Texas, how Medigap fits with Original Medicare and a stand-alone Part D drug plan, and the rules that shape your window to enroll.

What Medigap does — and doesn't — do

A Medigap policy pays after Original Medicare pays. It can pick up costs like the Part A hospital coinsurance, the Part B coinsurance, and (depending on the letter) the Part A and Part B deductibles. Some letters also cover skilled nursing coinsurance or a share of foreign travel emergency care.

A few things Medigap does not do:

• It does not cover prescription drugs. For that, you add a stand-alone Part D plan.
• It does not work with Medicare Advantage. You pick one path — Original Medicare + Medigap (+ Part D), or Medicare Advantage.
• It does not usually cover dental, vision, hearing aids or long-term care.

The plan letters you can buy in Texas

Texas uses the federal standardized letters. If you're newly eligible for Medicare, the letters available to you are:

• A, B, D, G, G-HD, K, L, M, N

Plans C and F are still sold, but only to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. High-deductible Plan G (G-HD) is the same benefits as Plan G, but you pay a set deductible before the policy starts paying.

Plans K and L have lower monthly costs in exchange for cost-sharing percentages and a yearly out-of-pocket limit. Plan N has small copays for some office and emergency visits. Plan G is the most comprehensive letter available to new enrollees today, since it covers everything F does except the Part B deductible.

How Medigap pairs with Part D in 2026

Because Medigap doesn't include drug coverage, most Lubbock residents pair it with a stand-alone Part D plan. A few 2026 Part D facts worth knowing:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026. Once you hit that, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly bills instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA — the income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D premiums — starts above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.

You can join or change a Part D plan during the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 through December 7.

Texas rules that shape your choice

Two rules do more work than most people realize:

Your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period. This starts the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During this window, any Medigap insurer selling in Texas must sell you any policy they offer, cannot charge you more for health reasons, and cannot make you wait for pre-existing conditions (beyond limited federal rules). This is the easiest time to enroll.

Medical underwriting outside that window. After your open enrollment period ends, Texas insurers can ask health questions and can decline coverage or charge more, except in specific "guaranteed issue" situations set by federal law (for example, if your employer coverage ends or a Medicare Advantage plan leaves your area). The Texas Department of Insurance and your local SHIP counselor can walk through whether you qualify.

Comparing insurers in Lubbock

Lubbock is in Lubbock County, and Texans there can shop from the same statewide list of Medigap insurers approved by the Texas Department of Insurance. The table below lists every insurer selling Medigap in Texas and which letters each one offers. A Plan G at AARP - UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company covers the same benefits as a Plan G at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Mutual of Omaha, Aetna Health Insurance Company or any other company on the list — the benefits inside each letter are set by federal law.

What can differ between insurers is the premium, how they raise premiums over time (the "pricing method"), household discounts, and customer service. Because we can't quote prices here, the best move is to compare quotes for the same letter across several insurers before you decide.

How to decide, step by step

1. Confirm you want Original Medicare, not Medicare Advantage. Medigap only pairs with Original Medicare. 2. Pick the letter that fits how you want to pay — more up front (like G or N) or lower monthly with more cost-sharing (like K or L). 3. Get quotes for that same letter from several Texas insurers. 4. Add a stand-alone Part D plan during your enrollment window. 5. If you're outside your 6-month open enrollment, ask a SHIP counselor whether any guaranteed-issue right applies before you apply.