Medicare Supplement

Shopping Medigap in Salt Lake City: how to compare the same plan letter across 23 insurers

Medigap coverage in Utah works differently than most people expect. A Plan G from one insurer covers the exact same things as a Plan G from any other insurer — the letters are standardized by federal law. So when 23 insurers all sell the same plan letter in the Salt Lake City area, what actually differs between them isn't the coverage. It's the price today, the way that price changes over time, whether the company offers discounts, and how easy it is to switch later. Here's how to compare them fairly.

Medicare SupplementSalt Lake City, UT

The same letter means the same coverage

This is the single most important thing to understand before you shop. Federal law standardizes Medigap plans by letter. A Plan N sold by one company in Salt Lake City pays the same share of your Part A and Part B cost-sharing as a Plan N sold by any other company. The benefits do not vary.

That means comparing insurers is not about which one has "better" Plan G. It's about which company is offering the same Plan G on terms that work for your budget now and later.

People newly eligible for Medicare today can buy plans A, B, D, G, G-HD, K, L, M and N. Plans C and F are only available to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.

Who sells Medigap in Salt Lake City

The table below lists every insurer selling Medigap in Utah and which plan letters each one offers. In the Salt Lake City area (ZIP 84101), Medicare.gov's Medigap policy search returned 23 insurers across the standardized letters.

Some carriers you'll see on the list — such as AARP - UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Aetna Health and Life Insurance Company, Educators Mutual Insurance Association, Humana, Mutual of Omaha (Omaha Insurance Company), Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company — offer several plan letters. Smaller or more specialized carriers may only sell a few. Availability alone isn't a reason to pick or skip a company; it just tells you who to request quotes from.

The three pricing methods, and why they matter

This is the piece most shoppers miss. Every Medigap insurer prices its policies using one of three methods, and the method affects what happens to your premium years from now — not just today.

• Attained-age rated. The premium is based on your current age and generally goes up as you get older, in addition to any across-the-board rate increases. This often looks cheapest at 65.
• Issue-age rated. The premium is based on the age you were when you bought the policy and does not increase just because you get older. It can still rise for other reasons like inflation or claims.
• Community rated. Everyone in the same area pays the same premium regardless of age. Rates still rise over time, but not because you had a birthday.

Two insurers can sell the identical Plan G, and one uses attained-age while the other uses community rating. Ten years in, those two policies can look very different. When you request quotes, ask each insurer which method they use and ask to see the rate history for that plan in Utah.

Rate history, household discounts and underwriting

Beyond the pricing method, three other things separate insurers offering the same letter:

Rate history. How often has this insurer raised premiums on this plan in Utah, and by how much? The Utah Insurance Department publishes rate filings and a consumer rate guide. A steady history is worth asking about.

Household discounts. Some insurers offer a discount if you live with another adult, if your spouse also enrolls, or sometimes just if another adult lives in the home. The rules vary widely — some require both people to buy from the same company, some don't. Ask.

Underwriting. During your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts when you're 65 and enrolled in Part B, insurers must sell you any plan they offer at their best available rate, regardless of your health. Outside that window — and outside certain "guaranteed issue" situations — insurers in Utah can use medical underwriting. That means they can ask health questions and either charge more or decline coverage. If you're thinking of switching Medigap plans later, underwriting rules become the biggest practical difference between carriers.

How to compare fairly

A clean, apples-to-apples comparison looks like this:

1. Pick the plan letter first, based on the coverage you want. Do not pick the company first. 2. Use the Medicare.gov Medigap policy search (medicare.gov/medigap-supplemental-insurance-plans) to pull the list of insurers selling that letter in your Salt Lake City ZIP code. 3. For each insurer, ask three questions: Which rating method do you use? What has your rate history looked like in Utah? Do you offer any household or spousal discount I would qualify for? 4. Check the Utah Insurance Department's rate guide for filed rate changes. 5. If you're outside your Medigap Open Enrollment window, ask about underwriting up front so you know whether you'd be accepted.

Where to get unbiased help

Salt Lake City residents have free, one-on-one help available through Utah's State Health Insurance Assistance Program, known locally as SHIP-Utah, run through the state's Aging and Adult Services network. Counselors do not sell insurance and do not earn commissions.

You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or visit medicare.gov for the official Medigap policy search and plan-comparison tools.