Medicare Supplement

What Medigap Plan Letters Really Mean in Kirkland

Kirkland, Washington — If you've started shopping for a Medicare Supplement policy, you've probably run into a strange alphabet: Plan A, Plan G, Plan N, Plan K, and a few more. Those letters aren't marketing labels. They're a federal system designed to make comparing Medigap policies easier — once you know how to read them.

Here's a plain-language look at what Medigap does, why the letters matter, and how the local picture fits in.

What Medigap Actually Does

Medigap — also called Medicare Supplement Insurance — is a private policy that works alongside Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). After Medicare pays its share of a covered service, your Medigap plan can help pick up some of what's left, such as coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles.

A few basics worth remembering:

• Medigap only works with Original Medicare, not with Medicare Advantage.
• You pay a monthly premium to the private insurer, in addition to your Part B premium.
• Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage. For that, most people add a stand-alone Part D plan.
• Policies are guaranteed renewable as long as you pay your premium.

Why the Letters Exist

In most states, Medigap policies are standardized by the federal government. That means Plan G sold by one insurance company must cover the same core benefits as Plan G sold by another. The letter tells you what is covered. The insurance company sets the price and the customer service.

So two Plan G policies in Kirkland can look identical on paper but cost very different amounts each month. That's why comparing letters — and then comparing prices within the same letter — is the key skill.

According to Medicare.gov, the currently sold plan letters are A, B, D, G, K, L, M, and N. Plans C and F are still available, but only to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.

How to Read the Letter Chart

Every standardized plan covers a shared list of benefits at different levels. In general:

• Plans A and B cover the basics, like Part A hospital coinsurance.
• Plan G is one of the more comprehensive options for people newly eligible, covering most gaps except the Part B deductible.
• Plans K and L use cost-sharing — you pay a percentage until you hit an annual out-of-pocket limit, then the plan pays 100% of covered services for the rest of the year.
• Plan N covers many gaps but asks you to pay small copays for some office and ER visits.

Medicare's official "Choosing a Medigap Policy" guide has a side-by-side chart that shows exactly which benefits each letter includes.

The Kirkland and King County Snapshot

Kirkland sits in King County, and Washington is one of a handful of states with special Medigap rules. In Washington, most people with a Medigap policy can switch to another Medigap plan (of equal or lesser benefits) at any time without medical underwriting, as long as they've been enrolled for at least 90 days. That's more flexible than the federal baseline, which typically limits guaranteed-issue rights to the six months after you first enroll in Part B at age 65.

That flexibility is worth knowing about — but the rules are specific, and it's smart to confirm your situation before switching. The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner and the state's SHIBA program (Washington's SHIP) can walk you through it for free.

When You Can Buy — and Why Timing Matters

Your best window to buy a Medigap plan is your Medigap Open Enrollment Period: the six months that start the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers can't turn you down or charge you more because of your health.

Outside that window, in most states, insurers can use medical underwriting. Washington's rules soften that somewhat, but the initial six-month window is still the cleanest time to shop.

Medigap is separate from the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7), which applies to Medicare Advantage and Part D — not Medigap.