Medicare Supplement

Which Medigap plans can you buy in Milwaukee, and how to compare them

Wisconsin does Medigap differently, and that changes how you shop for it in Milwaukee. Instead of the lettered plans (A through N) sold in most states, Wisconsin has its own standardized Medicare Supplement Insurance policies. Once you understand the structure, comparing insurers becomes much simpler — because the coverage itself is set by the state, not by the company selling it.

How Wisconsin Medigap is different

Milwaukee is in Milwaukee County, and like the rest of Wisconsin, it does not use the A-through-N Medigap letters you may have read about. Wisconsin is one of three states (along with Massachusetts and Minnesota) that standardizes its own Medicare Supplement policies.

In Wisconsin, you'll see policies described as:

• The Basic Plan, which you can build up by adding optional riders (for example, a Part A deductible rider or a Part B copayment/coinsurance rider).
• A 50% cost-sharing plan and a 25% cost-sharing plan, which pay part of your out-of-pocket costs rather than all of them.
• A high-deductible plan, which asks you to meet a deductible before the policy starts paying.

Because Wisconsin sets what each policy must cover, the Basic Plan from one insurer covers the same things as the Basic Plan from another insurer. That's the piece most people miss: you are comparing companies and prices, not coverage.

How to find the insurers selling Medigap in Milwaukee

There is no single public list we can print here, and insurer participation shifts year to year. There are three reliable ways to see who is selling Medigap in your ZIP code right now:

1. Medicare.gov Medigap policy search. Enter your ZIP code and you'll get every insurer offering Wisconsin Medigap policies where you live, along with their contact information. 2. The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) Medigap rate guide. OCI publishes a consumer guide that lists insurers and gives sample rates you can compare side by side. 3. The Wisconsin SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program). SHIP counselors offer free, unbiased help by phone or in person and can walk you through what's available near you.

Once you have the list, the work is to compare the same Wisconsin policy — say, the Basic Plan with the same riders — across insurers.

Pricing methods: why the same policy costs different amounts

Two insurers can sell the identical Wisconsin Basic Plan and charge very different premiums. A big reason is the pricing method (also called "rating method") the company uses. There are three:

• Attained-age rated. Your premium is based on your current age and goes up as you get older. These policies often look inexpensive at 65 and cost more later.
• Issue-age rated. Your premium is based on your age when you bought the policy. It doesn't increase just because you age, though it can still go up for other reasons.
• Community rated. Everyone in the community pays the same premium, regardless of age.

All three types can still be adjusted for inflation and rising medical costs. When you request quotes, ask each insurer which method they use — it changes what "affordable now" means five or ten years from now.

Rate history, household discounts and underwriting

Beyond the pricing method, three other questions help you compare insurers fairly:

• Rate history. Ask how much the insurer has raised premiums on this policy in recent years. The Wisconsin OCI rate guide is a good source, and SHIP counselors can help you read it.
• Household discount. Some insurers offer a discount when more than one adult in the same household holds a policy with them. The amount and the rules vary — always ask.
• Medical underwriting. During your Medigap open enrollment (the six months starting when you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B), insurers must sell you a policy and can't charge you more for health reasons. Outside that window, most insurers can use medical underwriting, which means they can ask health questions and either deny coverage or charge more. Wisconsin has some additional guaranteed-issue protections — SHIP can explain whether any apply to your situation.

The table on this page (where applicable) and the Medicare.gov search will show which insurers serve your ZIP code; the questions above are how you tell them apart.

A few 2026 facts worth knowing while you shop

Medigap works alongside Original Medicare and does not include drug coverage, so most people also enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan. A few 2026 program figures to keep in mind:

• Part D has a $2,100 out-of-pocket cap in 2026.
• The maximum Part D deductible is $615.
• The coverage gap (the "donut hole") was eliminated in 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly amounts.
• IRMAA surcharges for Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.
• Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7; Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs January 1 to March 31. (Medigap has its own enrollment rules and isn't tied to these windows.)