Medicare Supplement

Turning 65 in Norfolk? Your six-month Medigap window

If you live in Norfolk and are sorting through Medicare Supplement Insurance — better known as Medigap — the first thing to know is that the plans are lettered, not branded. Every Medigap policy sold in Virginia follows a federal template, so a Plan G from one company covers the same gaps as a Plan G from another. What changes is who sells it, how they price it, and what customer service feels like.

Medicare SupplementNorfolk, VA

Norfolk is in Norfolk city, where Virginia's Medigap rules apply the same as they do anywhere else in the commonwealth. Here is what that means for your choices.

What the letters mean

Medigap plans in most states — including Virginia — are labeled with letters set by federal rules. Each letter is a fixed benefit package. A Plan G is a Plan G whether you buy it from a national name or a smaller company. That is by design, so people can compare apples to apples.

For someone newly eligible for Medicare today, these letters are available: A, B, D, G, 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.

The high-deductible version of Plan G (shown as "G-HD") covers the same benefits as regular Plan G, but you pay a set yearly amount out of pocket before it starts paying.

How Medigap pairs with Original Medicare and Part D

Medigap is designed to sit next to Original Medicare. When you have Parts A and B, Medicare pays its share of a covered service first, and your Medigap policy pays some or all of what is left — things like coinsurance, copays and, depending on the letter, the Part A hospital deductible.

Medigap does not cover prescription drugs. If you want drug coverage, you add a stand-alone Part D plan. In 2026, Part D has a $2,100 out-of-pocket cap and a maximum deductible of $615. The old coverage gap (the "donut hole") was eliminated in 2025, so Part D now has three phases instead of four. If your drug costs land unevenly through the year, ask about the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which lets you spread those costs into monthly payments.

One important note: Medigap and Medicare Advantage do not mix. You cannot use a Medigap policy to pay costs on a Medicare Advantage plan. Medigap is for people who stay with Original Medicare.

When you can buy — and why timing matters

Your best window to buy Medigap under federal rules is your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It starts the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B, and it lasts six months. During that window, companies must sell you any Medigap plan they offer at their standard rate, regardless of your health history.

Outside that window, insurers in most situations can use medical underwriting — meaning they can ask about your health and decide whether to sell you a policy and at what price. Some limited "guaranteed issue" rights exist under federal law (for example, if a plan ends or you lose certain coverage). Virginia may offer additional protections beyond federal law, so it is worth checking with the Virginia Bureau of Insurance or your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) before you shop.

Medigap does not follow the October 15 – December 7 Annual Enrollment Period. You can apply for a Medigap plan any time of year — but whether a company must accept you depends on where you are in those timing rules.

Who sells Medigap in Norfolk

Because Virginia uses federal standardization, the letters on the shelf are what they are — the difference is which insurers offer which letters, and how each one prices its policies. The table below lists every insurer currently selling Medigap in Virginia along with the specific plan letters they offer.

You will see familiar national names in that list, such as AARP - UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield - Virginia, Humana, and Mutual of Omaha, alongside more specialized carriers like Bankers Fidelity Assurance Company, Erie Family Life Insurance Company, and WoodmenLife. Some companies sell most of the letters, while others focus on just a few. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, for example, is one of the few that still lists Plan D on its Virginia menu, and United American Insurance Company offers one of the broadest ranges of letters — but the "right" letter is a personal call, not something one company gets to define.

Because the benefits inside each letter are identical across insurers, the shopping question really becomes: which company will price it fairly for me over time, and will I be comfortable working with them?

Questions to ask before you sign

• How is this policy priced — issue-age, attained-age, or community-rated? (Virginia allows different methods, and they affect how the premium changes over time.)
• What has this company's rate history looked like in Virginia?
• If I move within Virginia or out of state, does my plan travel with me? (Medigap generally does, as long as you stay with Original Medicare.)
• Am I still within my six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, or would I need to answer health questions?

The Virginia Bureau of Insurance publishes rate guides that can help you compare across companies, and your local SHIP counselor can walk through the tradeoffs for free.