Medicare Supplement Insurance: 2027 Guide

How Medigap works

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.

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

When to buy

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, when employer coverage that pays after Medicare ends, or when you leave a Medicare Advantage plan within your first year. You generally must apply within 63 days after the other coverage ends.

Insurers that sell Medigap

AM Best affirmed an A+ (Superior) financial strength rating for Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company and its life subsidiaries in April 2026. Its Medicare supplement policies are underwritten by Omaha Supplemental Insurance Company, a company not named in that release, and its Plan G page mentions a discount on dental coverage when bundled with a Medicare supplement.

UnitedHealthcare sells the AARP Medicare Supplement plans, insured by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company; you must be an AARP member to enroll, and UnitedHealthcare pays royalty fees to AARP. AM Best lowered UnitedHealth’s health subsidiaries to an A (Excellent) rating in August 2025.

Cigna sold its Medicare businesses, including Medicare supplement, to Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) in March 2025, and HCSC has since rebranded the supplement plans as HealthSpring. AM Best rates the HCSC Medicare & Supplemental Group A (Excellent); HCSC’s core companies are rated A+. HCSC offers Medicare supplement in 48 states and DC, according to a September 2026 release.

How Medigap premiums are priced

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.

Part D drug costs

For 2026, Part D has a maximum deductible of $615 and an out-of-pocket cap of $2,100, after which you pay nothing for covered drugs for the rest of the year. Insulin costs no more than $35 for a month’s supply. CMS set the 2027 base beneficiary premium, used to calculate the late penalty, at $41.33. UnitedHealthcare and Newsweek report the 2027 cap at $2,400 and the deductible at $700, but we didn’t find those figures on a CMS page, so confirm them on Medicare.gov.

Original Medicare costs

Sources: CMS (Nov. 2025, Apr. 2025) and Medicare.gov. 2027 Part A and B amounts had not been announced as of Oct. 22, 2026; CMS usually publishes them in mid-November. Higher-income beneficiaries pay more for Parts B and D.

When you can enroll or switch

Source: Medicare.gov, October 2026.

Late enrollment penalties

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.

How agents help, and the rules they follow

An independent agent appointed with several insurers can compare Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and Part D options available in your area, check your doctors and prescriptions against plan networks and drug lists, and help again each fall during Open Enrollment. Agents are paid by the insurers, so you don’t pay a fee for their help. Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, and your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) also give free, unbiased help; the national SHIP line is 877-839-2675.

Federal rules shape how agents work. Third-party marketing organizations that represent more than one Medicare Advantage organization must give a disclaimer explaining that they don’t offer every plan in your area. Agents must agree with you on a Scope of Appointment, the products you want to discuss, before a sales appointment; a CMS rule effective June 1, 2026 removed the old 48-hour waiting period. And under a 2024 CMS rule, your personal information can be shared with another marketing organization only with your prior express written consent for each recipient.

Avoiding Medicare scams

Medicare.gov says Medicare will never call you to sell you anything or visit you at your home, and that it calls for personal information only in limited cases, such as returning your call. Don’t join a plan over the phone unless you called and asked for help, and don’t give your Medicare or Social Security number to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly. The FTC adds that Medicare sends new cards automatically and for free.

Report suspected fraud to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or the HHS Office of Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477). Medicare Advantage and Part D members can also call the I-MEDIC at 1-877-772-3379.

What Original Medicare doesn’t cover

• Eye exams for prescription eyeglasses
• Most dental care, such as cleanings, fillings, extractions, and dentures
• Hearing aids and exams for fitting them
• Non-medical long-term care (custodial care)
• Routine physical exams
• Cosmetic surgery
• Massage therapy
• Concierge care
• Care from providers who have opted out of Medicare, except emergencies
• Most care outside the United States

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 in Medicare.gov’s plan compare tool.

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.

• CMS: Medicare Advantage and Part D expected to remain stable in 2027 (Sep. 28, 2026)
• KFF: The average Medicare beneficiary has 28 MA-PD plan options for 2027 (Oct. 2026)
• KFF: Medicare Advantage plan availability for 2027 (Oct. 2026)
• CMS: 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Star Ratings (Oct. 2026)
• Medicare.gov: Compare Medicare Advantage plan types
• KFF: Medicare Advantage out-of-pocket limits
• Medicare.gov: Joining a health or drug plan
• Medicare.gov: Special Enrollment Periods
• CMS: 2026 Medicare Parts A & B premiums and deductibles (Nov. 2025)
• Medicare.gov: What Original Medicare doesn't cover
• 42 CFR 422.2267: Required materials and content (TPMO disclaimer)
• 42 CFR 423.2264: Beneficiary contact and Scope of Appointment
• ACL: State Health Insurance Assistance Program (Mar. 2026)
• Medicare.gov: Medicare fraud
• CMS: Contract Year 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D final rule (Apr. 2026)
• Medicare.gov: Your Medicare in 2027: What's new and changing (Sep. 2026)
• Medicare.gov: Compare Medigap plan benefits
• Medicare.gov: Choosing a Medigap Policy (Mar. 2026)
• CMS: 2027 Medigap Plan K and L out-of-pocket limits
• CMS: 2027 high-deductible Medigap Plans F, G, and J
• Medicare.gov: Ready to buy a Medigap policy
• AM Best: Mutual of Omaha ratings affirmed (Apr. 2026)
• UnitedHealthcare: Medicare supplement plans
• HCSC: Completes Cigna Medicare acquisition (Mar. 2025)

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.

Medicare Supplement Insurance 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 review, and a licensed agent will compare Medicare plans available to us in your area. You can also use Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to see all options.