Medicare Supplement

Why Medigap Letters Matter to Morgantown Medicare Buyers

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — If you've ever tried to shop for a Medicare Supplement policy, you know the alphabet soup can feel overwhelming. Plan A, Plan G, Plan N, Plan K — what do the letters actually mean, and why do they matter?

Making sense of Medigap in Morgantown

Here in Morgantown, where many neighbors are heading into retirement or helping a parent sort through mail from insurance companies, understanding Medigap can bring real peace of mind. The good news: these plans are standardized by the federal government, which makes comparing them much simpler than it looks at first glance.

What Medigap actually does

Medigap, also called Medicare Supplement Insurance, is a private policy you can buy to help pay some of the out-of-pocket costs that Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) leaves behind. Think deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments.

A Medigap plan works only with Original Medicare — not with a Medicare Advantage plan. You pay a monthly premium to the insurance company, and in return the policy picks up certain costs after Medicare pays its share.

Medigap policies generally do not include prescription drug coverage. For drugs, you'd typically add a stand-alone Part D plan.

Why the letters exist

Back in the 1990s, Congress asked federal regulators to standardize Medigap plans so shoppers weren't comparing apples to oranges. Today, in most states, Medigap policies come in ten standardized designs, each labeled with a letter: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N.

Here's the key point: a Plan G sold by one company covers the exact same set of benefits as a Plan G sold by another company. The letter tells you what's covered. The company can change the price, customer service, and extras, but not the core benefits.

That standardization is why Medicare's own guide encourages people to compare plans by letter first, then compare prices among companies offering that letter.

A quick tour of the letters

Without steering you toward any single choice, here's the broad shape of the lineup:

• Plans A and B cover a smaller set of gaps and tend to be the most basic.
• Plans C and F are the most comprehensive, but they are only available to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. If you turned 65 after that date, you cannot buy a new C or F.
• Plan G has become a popular choice for newer enrollees because it fills most gaps except the Part B deductible.
• Plan N covers many of the same gaps as G but asks you to pay some copays at doctor and ER visits.
• Plans K and L are cost-sharing plans — they cover a percentage of certain costs and include a yearly out-of-pocket limit.
• Plan M splits the Part A deductible with you.

For the full benefit chart, Medicare publishes a side-by-side grid at medicare.gov.

What's happening locally

Morgantown is in Monongalia County, where residents have access to the same standardized Medigap letters available across West Virginia. Several insurance companies sell Medigap policies in the state, and prices for the same lettered plan can vary from one carrier to another. That's why comparing by letter first — then price — is so useful.

West Virginia follows the federal standardization rules, so a Plan G bought from one insurer here offers the same core benefits as a Plan G bought from a different insurer.

Timing matters: the Medigap Open Enrollment Period

The single most important date in Medigap shopping is the start of your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It begins the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurance companies must sell you any Medigap policy they offer at the best available rate, regardless of your health history.

Outside that window, in most cases, insurers can use medical underwriting — meaning your health can affect whether you're approved or what you'll pay. That's a big deal, and it catches many people off guard.

Medigap enrollment is not tied to the fall Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7). That window is for Medicare Advantage and Part D. Medigap runs on its own clock.

How Medigap fits with the rest of Medicare

A few reminders about the broader 2026 Medicare landscape, since many Morgantown readers are weighing all their options at once:

• Part D drug plans now have a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap for covered drugs in 2026.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") has been eliminated as of 2025.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments if you choose.
• IRMAA income surcharges for higher earners begin above $109,000 for single filers in 2026.

Medigap does not change any of those Part D rules — but if you pair Original Medicare with a Medigap policy and a stand-alone drug plan, these are the numbers shaping your total picture.