Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) Plans for 2025

alleimaenPro October 16, 2024

2 38 6 minutes read

Medicare supplement plans also assist in reimbursement for several out-of-pocket expenses. Utilizing Medigap, you get all the necessary information for choosing one of the plans on the website of U.S. News.

At times, health care can be an enormous challenge when choosing Medicare Supplement plans is essential. Whether you are preparing to select the coverage or exploring cost factors, it is essential to arm yourself will the proper knowledge to gain comprehensive health care with a Medicare Supplement.

What Is Medigap?

Medigap plans, also referred to as Medicare Supplement plans, are insurance policies designed to help cover certain out-of-pocket expenses not included in original Medicare. To be eligible for a Medigap plan, you must be enrolled in both Medicare Part A (hospital costs) and Part B (medical expenses like doctor visits). Many individuals with original Medicare also opt for a Part D prescription drug plan, as original Medicare does not include medication coverage.

Among the various options, Medigap Plan F and Medigap Plan G are the most comprehensive. Plan F offers the highest level of coverage, though eligibility restrictions may apply. On the other hand, Medigap Plan G provides almost the same coverage as Plan F and is available to all Medicare beneficiaries.

Since Plan F covers more than Plan G, it tends to be more costly. If you are eligible for Medigap Plan F, it’s important to weigh whether the additional coverage justifies the higher price.

Medigap Plan G

Medigap Plan G provides comprehensive coverage for many out-of-pocket expenses, covering 100% of the following:

Explanation of Part A and coinsurance and hospital expenses.
Copia Parte B y los pagos por deductibles y copagos.
The patient’s first thirty-seven hundred milliliters of blood.
Part A hospice care.
SNF & LIS.
Skilled Nursing facilities provide their services in three types, which are: Luxury Skilled Nursing Care Facilities, Special Care Units, and Life Care Communities.
The Part A deductible.
Part B excess charges.

However, it does not apply to the Part B deductible and has an 80% benefit for medical emergencies while overseas.

Medigap Plan F

As a product of private insurance companies, Medigap Plan F is the most comprehensive of all the available Medigap plans. It covers 100% of the following costs:

The Part A coinsurance and the hospital costs.
Retiree deductibles, Part B deductibles, and coinsurance.
The first three pints of blood.
Part A hospice care.
SNF or skilled nursing facility care.
The Part A deductible.
The Part B deductible.
Part B excess charges.

Also, it covers 80% of emergent treatments outside the country.

What Does Medigap Cover?

Medigap plans on the other hand are made to complement a basic Medicare, otherwise known as original Medicare. These plans are available in different types, and the types are indicated by a letter in most of the states including A, B, C, D, F G, K, L, M, N. However, there are three states – Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, which have slightly different names for them. Some of these plans, for instance, are older plans, they can no longer admit new members and they only allow those who were in the plan when it was terminated to get certain benefits. Each plan comes with a different additional coverage option to the Medicare programs. Some plans offer aid in paying for medical emergencies when traveling overseas or for blood transfusion while some do not.

For more detailed information about the advantages which may be provided under the options, it is possible to use a kind of check-lists, available on the website Medicare.gov.

Existing Medigap policies are designed to cover only one person per policy, meaning that, for instance, if a couple is married, both cannot be on the same policy.

It’s important to note that Medigap does not cover the following services:

Prescription drugs
Hearing aids
Vision services
Dental care
Long-term care

Medigap vs Medicare Advantage plans.

Medigap policies exist and complement the original Medicare but don’t fully cover some out-of-pocket expenses such as copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles. They complement your traditional Medicare Part A and Part B by providing you with extra cash.

On the other hand, Medicare Advantage, commonly referred to as Part C, are all-encompassing health insurance plans that replace original Medicare. These plans are what is known as ‘Part C,’ and they may also include extra services not in regular Medicare, such as eye and mouth care, and prescription services – a one-stop-shop, so to speak. In return, Medicare Advantage plans afford more all-inclusive coverage but tie the enrollee to the network and or seek prior authorization on certain services, unlike Medigap policies.

2025 Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) Plans

*This is based on Medicare.gov’s 2025 standardized Medigap coverage comparison chart.

Benefits	Plan A	Plan B	Plan C	Plan D	Plan F	Plan G	Plan K	Plan L	Plan M	Plan N

Part A coinsurance and hospital costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are used

100%

Part B coinsurance or copayment

100%

50%

75%

100%

Blood benefit (first 3 pints)

100%

50%

75%

100%

Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment

100%

50%

75%

100%

Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance

100%

50%

75%

100%

Part A deductible

100%

50%

75%

50%

100%

Part B deductible

100%

N/A

Part B excess charge

100%

Foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits)

80%

Out-of-pocket limit (for Plans K and L)

N/A

$7,060 in 2024

$3,530 in 2024

N/A

Source: U.S.News

How To Get Insurance That Your Doctors’ Plan

Is Additional Medigap Insurance for Medicare Necessary for Me?

Medigap policies are special Medicare supplement insurance policies that anyone enrolling in original Medicare Part A or B is free to buy. Part D medications are supposed to assist in covering some expenses not catered for under Medicare Parts A and B. Using Medigap policy, one could save hundreds if not thousands of dollars on medical bills.

One thing you should know about Medigap is that you must be under both Medicare Part A and B to be eligible for it. In most cases, people having an age of 65 or more or those who have a qualifying disability can enroll in Medicare. This type of insurance is not offered to persons who are on Medicare Advantage plan or Medicare Part C. To change from a Medicare Advantage plan and enroll in the Medigap plan during a Special Enrollment Period, you have to terminate your Medicare Advantage plan and enroll in original Medicare.

How should I Select a Medigap Plan?

Medigap policies are ‘‘tied’’; thus, each insurance firm is legally mandated to offer the prescribed benefits of every available plan. These ensure that a Medigap plan with a letter will provide the same benefits no matter the company that is selling the policy. Although not fixed, the amount you will be charged as a premium may differ from one insurer to another, depending on the state as well as the insurance firm you intend to take the policy from.

When Can I Enroll in Medigap?

Medigap plans can be enrolled at during the first six months of Medicare Part B enrollment. Just like Medicare, you have to sign up for both Medicare Parts A and B to join a Medigap plan.

For this first year, you can sign up for any Medigap policy in your state, and the insurer cannot exclude your preexisting medical conditions, or charge you more.

From the time this six-month open enrollment period elapses, you may not be easily enrolled in a Medigap plan in most states, or even if you are enrolled, it will be with certain health conditions or with more expensive rates.

How Do I Sign Up for Medigap?

To make sure you qualify for a Medigap plan, you need to be signed up for Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. The best time to sign up is a Medigap open enrollment period which begins on the first of the month, when the beneficiary is 65 years and above and has Medicare Part B.

This means that health insurance ensures you access to coverage for one and a half years without being denied coverage or being charged extra because you have a pre-existing condition. The official Medicare site has information on which Medigap policy you should choose.

When Should I Buy Medigap?

Medigap policies are bought from individual insurance companies and come with an extra cost to the provider of the policy. Medigap shopping can be done whenever one is eligible but the best time to enroll for the available plan is at the initial eligibility for Medicare Part B. That means that after this initial enrollment period, you may not be able to purchase a Medigap policy based on state laws.

Medigap plans are numbered, for example, Plan A, and Plan G; it is important to understand which services they include. For instance, some plans extend to medical care beginning in another country, that is the United States. Medigap policies do not cover hearing care, dental care, vision care, long-term care, or prescription drug costs.

While Medigap policies are otherwise standardized federally and available only through private insurance companies, they are also regulated at the state level. Medicare will be billed as the primary payer when a beneficiary has original Medicare and a Medigap policy to cover the costs; then, the Medigap policy will be billed for the rest of the amount as they have agreed.

alleimaenPro October 16, 2024

2 38 6 minutes read