Medicare Supplement

Same Plan G, different premiums: how Seattle can compare

In Seattle, if you're shopping for a Medicare Supplement policy — better known as Medigap — you may notice something confusing. The same plan letter, say Plan G, can be sold by a dozen different insurers, each quoting a different premium. That's not a mistake, and it's not because one company's coverage is "better." The benefits inside each lettered plan are set by federal law and are identical from insurer to insurer. What changes is how each company prices the plan, how it raises rates over time, whether it offers a household discount, and whether it will ask you health questions before saying yes.

Here's how to compare apples to apples when you shop in King County, where Seattle sits.

The letters are standardized — the price is not

Medigap plans sold to people newly eligible for Medicare today come in these standardized letters: A, B, D, G, G-HD, K, L, M and N. (Plans C and F remain available only to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.)

"Standardized" means Plan G at one company covers exactly the same gaps in Original Medicare as Plan G at another company. There is no "deluxe" Plan G or "basic" Plan G. So when you compare across insurers, you're really comparing price, service, and how the price will behave over time — not the coverage itself.

The three ways insurers price the same letter

This is the single most important thing to understand before you compare quotes.

Community-rated (also called "no-age-rated"). Everyone who buys the plan pays roughly the same premium, no matter their age. Your rate doesn't go up just because you had a birthday.

Issue-age-rated. Your premium is based on the age you were when you first bought the policy. A person who buys at 65 locks in a lower starting rate than someone who buys at 72, and your premium won't rise simply because you're aging.

Attained-age-rated. Your premium is based on your current age and goes up as you get older, in addition to any general rate increases.

All three methods can still see rate hikes for inflation, medical costs and the insurer's claims experience. But the pricing method tells you how much of your future premium is tied to your age. When you ask an agent or an insurer for a quote, ask directly: "Is this plan community-rated, issue-age, or attained-age?" That answer matters as much as today's number.

Rate history: the past hints at the future

Two insurers can both sell Plan G today at similar premiums, and one can raise rates far more aggressively than the other over the next five years. That's why Washington publishes a Medigap rate guide through the Office of the Insurance Commissioner — it lets you see how each insurer's rates have changed over time.

Ask for, or look up:

• How often the insurer has filed rate increases in Washington in the last few years.
• The size of those increases.
• How long the insurer has been selling Medigap in the state.

None of this predicts the future perfectly, but a pattern of steep annual increases is worth knowing about before you commit.

Household discounts and other extras

Some insurers offer a household or spousal discount — usually a percentage off the premium if you live with another adult, or with another adult who also has a Medigap policy from the same company. The amount and the rules vary by insurer and by state, so ask each company whether the discount applies in Washington and how much it is.

A few insurers also offer small extras like gym memberships or wellness perks bundled with the policy. These are nice-to-haves; they should not be the deciding factor over pricing method and rate history.

Underwriting: when insurers can ask about your health

This is where timing becomes critical.

During your Medigap Open Enrollment Period — the six months that begin the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B — insurers must sell you any Medigap plan they offer at their best available rate, regardless of your health. This is a one-time federal protection.

Outside that window, and outside a handful of "guaranteed issue" situations, insurers in Washington can generally use medical underwriting. That means they can ask health questions and can decline you, charge more, or make you wait. Some insurers underwrite more strictly than others, so if you're shopping after your open enrollment window has closed, ask each company what their underwriting looks like before you apply.

Washington does have some additional consumer protections beyond the federal minimum, and rules can change — your local SHIP counselor can walk you through what applies to your exact situation.

How to find every insurer selling Medigap in Seattle

There is no single public list of Medigap carriers we can print here, but there are three reliable, free ways to see the full lineup for your ZIP code:

1. Medicare.gov Medigap policy search. Enter your Seattle ZIP code and it will show every insurer licensed to sell Medigap in your area, along with the letters each one offers. 2. Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner. The state publishes a Medigap rate guide that lists insurers, plan letters and rate information for Washington residents. 3. SHIBA — Washington's SHIP. Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors provide free, unbiased Medicare counseling. They can help you compare quotes side by side without trying to sell you anything.

The table on this page lists the standardized plan letters available in Washington; use the tools above to see which insurers offer each letter in your ZIP code.

A simple comparison checklist

When you have two or three quotes in hand for the same plan letter, line them up on these points:

• Pricing method (community, issue-age, or attained-age)
• Recent rate increase history in Washington
• Household or spousal discount, and whether you qualify
• Whether you're inside your Medigap Open Enrollment window or subject to underwriting
• The insurer's customer service reputation and how long they've sold Medigap in the state

Only after all of that should today's premium be the tiebreaker.