How to Choose the Best Medicare Supplement Plan for You

Step 1: choose a plan letter

Based on Medicare.gov’s Medigap benefit chart and CMS notices. Check the plan chart for full benefits.

Plan G suits people who want predictable costs; Plan N trades small copays for a lower premium; high-deductible G and Plans K and L lower premiums further in exchange for more cost sharing.

Step 2: choose a company

Medicare’s guide describes three ways insurers set Medigap premiums: community-rated, where generally everyone pays the same regardless of age; issue-age-rated, based on your age when you buy; and attained-age-rated, based on your current age, so premiums rise as you get older. Premiums for the same plan letter can differ widely between companies, so compare several.

Also compare the company’s rate increase history, household discounts, and customer service. The benefits for a plan letter are the same at every company.

Timing your purchase

Your best time to buy is the six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older. During it, insurers can’t refuse to sell you any policy they offer or charge more for health problems. Outside it, insurers in most states can use medical underwriting unless you have a guaranteed issue right, such as when your Medicare Advantage plan leaves your area, employer coverage that pays after Medicare ends, or you leave a Medicare Advantage plan within your first year. You generally must apply within 63 days after the other coverage ends.

Medigap basics

Medigap policies are standardized and sold by private insurers to help pay Original Medicare’s deductibles, coinsurance, and copays. The lettered plans are A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N, and a plan with the same letter has the same basic benefits from any company. Plans C and F aren’t available to people new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020; Plans D and G offer the same benefits except the Part B deductible. Medigap doesn’t work with Medicare Advantage and generally doesn’t include drug coverage, so most people pair it with a Part D plan.

2026 and 2027 figures

Sources: Medicare.gov and CMS notices, October 2025 and October 2026.

Medigap or Medicare Advantage?

Medicare Advantage plans must cap in-network out-of-pocket costs for Part A and B services. For 2026, KFF reports the federal limit is $9,250 in network and $13,900 combined for in- and out-of-network services in PPOs, and that the average plan’s in-network limit is about $5,421. Original Medicare has no out-of-pocket cap, which is one reason people pair it with Medigap.

Medigap pairs with Original Medicare and lets you see any provider that accepts Medicare; Medicare Advantage uses networks but often costs less in premiums.

Adding drug coverage

For 2027, CMS set the Part D national base beneficiary premium at $41.33, up from $38.99 in 2026, and said it will end the Part D premium stabilization demonstration for standalone drug plans after 2026. The 2027 final rule keeps the Inflation Reduction Act’s redesign in place: there is no coverage gap, and there is no cost sharing once you reach the annual out-of-pocket threshold.

Medicare charges late penalties if you delay without other qualifying coverage. Medicare.gov says the Part B penalty is 10% for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B but didn’t, usually for as long as you have Part B. The Part D penalty is 1% of the national base beneficiary premium for each month without creditable drug coverage after a 63-day gap; the base premium is $38.99 in 2026 and $41.33 in 2027. You can generally delay Part B without penalty if you have group coverage from current employment, and sign up within eight months after that coverage or employment ends.

Guaranteed issue rights

Medicare.gov describes guaranteed issue rights as situations where an insurer can’t deny you a Medigap policy, such as your Medicare Advantage plan leaving your area or losing employer coverage that pays after Medicare. Apply within 63 days after the other coverage ends.

Enrollment windows

Source: Medicare.gov, October 2026.

Checking a plan and insurer

• Networks. Confirm your doctors and hospitals are in the plan’s network.
• Drugs. Check each prescription on the plan’s formulary and its tier.
• Costs. Compare premiums, deductibles, copays, and the out-of-pocket maximum.
• Agent license. Confirm the agent is licensed in your state through your state insurance department.
• Star Ratings. Review the plan’s rating on Medicare.gov’s Plan Finder.

What an independent agency does

An independent insurance agency is licensed to sell policies from several insurance companies. Instead of quoting one company's products, an independent agent can compare options from the insurers the agency represents, explain the differences in coverage, and help you re-shop at renewal. The insurance company, not the agent, makes underwriting and claim decisions.

Blake Insurance Group is an independent agency. We work with clients by phone, email, and online in states where we are licensed, and we will tell you which insurers we can quote for your situation.

How we work

Blake Insurance Group serves clients by phone, email, and online in states where we are licensed. The insurers and plans we can offer depend on our appointments and your location; a company named on this page may not be available through us.

How to verify an insurer or agency

Before buying through any website or app, confirm who is selling you the policy and who will issue it:

1. Find the licensed agency or insurer named in the site's footer, terms, or license page.
2. Look up the agency or producer on your state insurance department's license search, or through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).
3. Look up the insurer on your state insurance department's company search to confirm it is authorized in your state.
4. Save the insurer's name and policy number once issued, since that is who handles claims.

A legitimate service will make this information easy to find. Be cautious if you cannot identify the licensed entity.

Sources

We checked the facts on this page against the sources below in October 2026. Plans, prices, and rules change, so confirm current terms before you buy.

• Medicare.gov: When does Medicare coverage start?
• Medicare.gov: Joining a health or drug plan
• Medicare.gov: Compare Medigap plan benefits
• Medicare.gov: Choosing a Medigap Policy (Mar. 2026)
• Medicare.gov: Ready to buy a Medigap policy
• Medicare.gov: Medigap guaranteed issue rights
• CMS: 2027 Medigap Plan K and L out-of-pocket limits
• CMS: 2027 high-deductible Medigap Plans F, G, and J
• CMS: 2026 high-deductible Medigap Plans F, G, and J
• CMS: 2026 Medicare Parts A & B premiums and deductibles (Nov. 2025)
• KFF: Medicare Advantage out-of-pocket limits
• CMS: Part D 2027 national average monthly bid information (July 2026)
• CMS: Contract Year 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D final rule (Apr. 2026)
• Medicare.gov: Avoid late enrollment penalties

What to have ready for a Medicare review

These details help an agent quote accurately.

1. Medicare card. Your Medicare number and Part A and B start dates.
2. Doctors. Names of doctors and hospitals you want to keep.
3. Prescriptions. Drug names, doses, and pharmacies.
4. Current coverage. Any plan, employer, or Medicaid coverage you have.
5. ZIP code. Plans differ by county.

Best Medicare Supplement plan FAQs

Related guides

• Medicare Advantage agents
• Medicare Supplement insurance
• Medicare Open Enrollment
• Choosing an independent Medicare agent
• Medicare Extra Help

Partner quote options

Your next step

Request a quote, and a licensed agent will compare options available to us for your situation.