Medicare Supplement

Comparing Medigap Plans A, G, N and K in Salem, Virginia

SALEM, Va. — If you've started shopping for a Medicare Supplement policy, you've probably run into a wall of letters: Plan A, Plan G, Plan N, Plan K. It can feel like alphabet soup. The good news? Those letters actually make Medigap easier to compare — once you know how the system works.

Here's a plain-English guide to what Medicare Supplement insurance does, how the standardized letters are set up, and the small mistakes that trip people up during shopping season.

What Medigap actually does

Medicare Supplement insurance — often called Medigap — is a private policy that works alongside Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). It helps pay some of the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare leaves behind, like coinsurance, copays, and certain deductibles.

A few important things to know up front:

• Medigap only works with Original Medicare. It does not pair with a Medicare Advantage plan.
• Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage. For that, you'd add a stand-alone Part D plan.
• You pay a monthly premium to the private insurer, on top of your Part B premium.

Medigap is designed to smooth out the bumps — the 20% coinsurance under Part B, the hospital deductible under Part A, and other cost-sharing that can add up quickly if you have a serious health event.

Why the letters exist

Before 1990, Medigap policies came in endless shapes and sizes, which made honest comparison nearly impossible. Today, federal law requires most Medigap policies to be standardized and identified by a letter: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. (Plans E, H, I, and J are no longer sold to new members.)

Here's the key point: every Plan G sold by every company covers the exact same benefits. The same goes for Plan N, Plan K, and each of the other letters. A Plan G from one insurer is not "better" than a Plan G from another when it comes to benefits — the coverage is set by law.

What can differ between companies:

• The monthly premium
• Customer service and billing
• How premiums change over time
• Whether the plan offers extras like a fitness discount

So when you compare two Plan G policies, you're really comparing price and company, not benefits.

A quick look at the letter groups

Rather than list every benefit, it helps to think of the letters in tiers:

• Plan A and Plan B — the more basic options, covering core benefits.
• Plan G — one of the most comprehensive plans available to people newly eligible for Medicare. It covers nearly everything except the Part B deductible.
• Plan N — comprehensive, but with small copays for some office and ER visits.
• Plans K, L, and M — cost-sharing plans, where you pay a share of certain costs in exchange for lower premiums.
• Plan C and Plan F — no longer available to people who became Medicare-eligible on or after January 1, 2020. If you were eligible before that date, you may still be able to buy or keep them.

Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin standardize their Medigap plans differently, but the same idea applies: same-letter plans have the same benefits within the state.

Timing matters more than most people realize

The biggest Medigap mistake isn't picking the "wrong" letter — it's missing your Medigap Open Enrollment Period.

This is a one-time, six-month window that begins the month you're 65 and enrolled in Part B. During this window, insurance companies must sell you any Medigap policy they offer at their best available rate, regardless of your health history.

Once that window closes, insurers in most states can use medical underwriting — meaning they can charge you more or turn you down based on your health. That's why people who plan ahead often have more options than people who wait.

If you already have a Medigap plan and are thinking about switching, the same underwriting rules can apply. It's worth talking to your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) before you cancel anything.

Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage — a common mix-up

Salem is in Salem City, where residents can choose between Original Medicare (with or without a Medigap policy) and Medicare Advantage plans offered by private insurers. These are two different paths, and you can't combine them.

• Original Medicare + Medigap + Part D = one route.
• Medicare Advantage (which usually bundles drug coverage) = the other route.

Neither path is universally better. What matters is how you like to get care, whether you travel, your budget for premiums versus copays, and whether your preferred doctors accept the coverage.