Medicare Supplement

Does Medigap in Newport News Fit Your Coverage?

Medigap, also called Medicare Supplement Insurance, is a private policy that helps pay some of what Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) leaves behind — things like coinsurance, copays, and some deductibles. If you live in Newport News and stick with Original Medicare, a Medigap plan is one way to make your out-of-pocket costs more predictable.

Medicare SupplementNewport News, VA

What Medigap is — and what it isn't

A few ground rules matter here. Medigap only pairs with Original Medicare. You cannot use a Medigap policy alongside a Medicare Advantage plan. Medigap also does not include prescription drug coverage, so most people who choose Medigap also enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan.

The standardized letters you can buy in Virginia

Medigap is federally standardized in Virginia, which means the letter on the plan tells you what it covers. A Plan G from one insurer covers the same core benefits as a Plan G from another insurer. Only three states — Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin — standardize differently. Virginia is not one of them.

If you are newly eligible for Medicare today, these are the letters available: A, B, D, G, G high-deductible (G-HD), 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 change came from the federal MACRA law, which closed off any new Medigap plan that pays the Part B deductible for newer enrollees.

Because the benefits are standardized, the practical shopping question is not "which letter is best" — it's which letter matches how you use care, and which insurer you want to buy that letter from.

How Medigap pairs with Original Medicare and Part D

Here's the typical setup for someone in Newport News who chooses this route:

• Part A and Part B (Original Medicare) pay the bulk of your hospital and doctor bills.
• A Medigap plan picks up some or all of the leftover coinsurance and copays, depending on the letter.
• A stand-alone Part D plan covers your prescriptions.

Part D has some important 2026 numbers to keep in mind. The out-of-pocket cap for covered drugs is $2,100. The maximum Part D deductible any plan can charge is $615. The old coverage gap (the "donut hole") was eliminated in 2025, so Part D now works in three phases instead of four. If your drug costs are lumpy, you can also ask about the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which spreads your out-of-pocket drug costs across the year in monthly payments.

Higher-income enrollees pay an IRMAA surcharge on Part B and Part D. For 2026, IRMAA starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer.

Insurers selling Medigap in Virginia

Quite a few companies sell Medigap policies in Virginia, and not all of them sell every letter. The table below lists every insurer and the letters they offer in the state. A carrier that sells Plans A, F, G, G-HD, and N, for example, is a different shopping decision than one that also sells Plans B, K, L, or M.

Names you'll see in the roster include AARP – UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, AFLAC, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield – Virginia, Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood, Tennessee (Aetna), Humana, Mutual of Omaha, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, and USAA Life Insurance Company, among others. Because the benefits inside each letter are the same by law, the differences between insurers come down to price, underwriting rules, customer service, and household discounts — none of which we quote here.

The state rules that shape your choice in Virginia

Federal law gives you a 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period that starts the month your Part B coverage begins, if you're 65 or older. During that window, insurers must sell you any Medigap plan they offer at their best available rate, and they cannot turn you down or charge more for health reasons. That is the strongest protection you'll have.

Outside that window, insurers in Virginia can generally use medical underwriting, which means your health history can affect whether you're accepted and what you pay. There are federal guaranteed issue situations — for example, if a Medicare Advantage plan leaves your area or you move out of its service area — where an insurer must sell you certain Medigap plans without underwriting.

Some states have added extras, like a "birthday rule" that lets you switch Medigap plans once a year without underwriting. Whether any Virginia-specific right applies to you is worth confirming with an official source before you make a change. Two good ones:

• The Virginia Bureau of Insurance at the State Corporation Commission
• VICAP, Virginia's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which offers free, unbiased counseling

Newport News is in Newport News City, and both the Bureau of Insurance and VICAP serve residents there.

How to think through the decision

A few questions that tend to clarify the choice:

1. Do I want to stay with Original Medicare? Medigap only works if you do. 2. Am I inside my 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment window, or do I have a guaranteed issue right? Timing changes everything. 3. Which letter matches how I use care? Some letters cover more of the small stuff, others use cost-sharing or a higher deductible. 4. Which insurer sells that letter? The roster in the table shows who offers what in Virginia. 5. What Part D plan will I pair with it? Medicare's Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you compare drug plans using your actual prescription list.