Medicare Supplement

Before you switch Medigap in Vancouver, call SHIBA first

Vancouver, Wash. — If you have Original Medicare and you live in Clark County, you have probably heard the term "Medigap" or "Medicare Supplement." These are private policies that help pay some of what Original Medicare leaves behind, like coinsurance and hospital costs. In Washington, as in most states, Medigap plans are sold using standardized letters, which means the benefits inside "Plan G" from one company are the same as "Plan G" from another. What changes is the company selling it, the service you get, and the price.

Medicare SupplementVancouver, WA

Here is a plain-English look at which letters you can buy in Washington today, how Medigap fits with Original Medicare and a Part D drug plan, and where to go for personal help.

What Medigap is — and what it isn't

Medigap is extra insurance that sits on top of Original Medicare. After Medicare pays its share of a covered service, your Medigap plan pays some or all of what is left, depending on the letter you chose.

A few things Medigap does not do:

• It does not replace Medicare. You keep paying your Part B premium.
• It does not include prescription drug coverage. For that, you add a stand-alone Part D plan.
• It does not pair with Medicare Advantage. You either have Original Medicare plus Medigap, or a Medicare Advantage plan — not both.

The standardized letters you can buy in Washington

Washington follows the federal standardization rules (Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin are the three states that do it differently). That means every Medigap plan sold here comes with a letter, and the benefits inside each letter are set by federal rules.

For people newly eligible for Medicare today, the letters available are: A, B, D, G, G-HD, K, L, M and N.

Two letters — C and F — are only for sale to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. If that is you, you may still be able to buy them; if not, they are off the menu.

"G-HD" is the high-deductible version of Plan G. It works like standard Plan G, but you pay a set deductible before benefits kick in.

How Medigap pairs with Part D

Because Medigap does not include drug coverage, most people with Medigap also enroll in a stand-alone Medicare Part D plan for prescriptions. Two 2026 numbers are worth writing down:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100.
• The maximum Part D deductible is $615.

The old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated in 2025, so Part D now has three phases instead of four. If your drug costs come in big chunks, ask about the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan — it lets you spread out-of-pocket drug costs across the calendar year in monthly installments at no extra charge.

One more thing to know: if your income is above $109,000 as a single filer in 2026 (higher for joint filers), an IRMAA surcharge is added to your Part B and Part D premiums.

Who sells Medigap in Washington

The table below lists every insurer approved to sell Medigap in Washington and which letters each one offers. A quick look shows that Plan G and Plan N are offered by nearly every carrier on the list, while letters like B, D, K, L and M are carried by only a few. That is normal — carriers choose which letters to sell.

Because benefits inside a lettered plan are the same from company to company, shopping is mostly about price, customer service, and whether the company is easy to deal with over time. We are not allowed to tell you which insurer is "best," and honestly, no one can — the right pick depends on your health, your budget, and your preferences.

Washington rules worth knowing

Washington has some of the more consumer-friendly Medigap rules in the country, particularly around switching plans after your initial enrollment. State rules change, so rather than list them here and risk being out of date, call the people whose job is to answer these questions for free:

• SHIBA (Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors) is Washington's SHIP program. Counselors are trained volunteers who do not sell insurance. Reach them at 1-800-562-6900.
• The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner publishes an annual Medigap rate guide and can answer questions about carriers licensed in the state.

When to enroll

Your best window to buy Medigap is the six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts the month you are 65 or older AND enrolled in Part B. During this window, insurers cannot turn you down or charge you more because of your health. Miss it, and in most cases they can use medical underwriting.

The Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment (January 1 – March 31) affect Medicare Advantage and Part D — not Medigap. Medigap has its own timing.