Guaranteed renewability each year
As long as you pay your premium, your coverage will continue year after year and cannot be cancelled (except in specific cases, like providing inaccurate information on your application).
Medicare Supplement Insurance
Medicare Supplement Insurance covers some of the costs that Original Medicare doesn't pay.
Quick answer
Medicare Supplement Insurance is also called "Medigap" because it helps fill gaps in costs not paid by Parts A and B including copayments, coinsurance and deductibles. Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans are easy to comparison shop because they are standardized under federal law, which requires each plan to offer the same basic coverage, regardless of the carrier.
For many plans, the only difference is the cost.
Plan details
As long as you pay your premium, your coverage will continue year after year and cannot be cancelled (except in specific cases, like providing inaccurate information on your application).
Because Medicare Supplement Insurance is standardized, it’s fairly straightforward to understand and compare plans.
Medicare Supplement Insurance enrollees can visit any doctor that accepts Medicare patients. Doctors or hospitals that accept Medicare patients MUST accept all Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans, regardless of the insurance carrier.
Benefits and considerations
Having Medicare Supplement Insurance in addition to Original Medicare may help protect you from unexpected costs, giving you access to the care you need with peace of mind.
Guaranteed Issue means that you can’t be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition, not that it can’t be taken away. The plan is guaranteed renewable as long as the premium is paid and a misrepresentation is not made on an application. SmartMatch licensed insurance agents work with you to ensure you get the coverage that meets your needs at the price that fits your budget.
Benefits
All Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans must include the same standardized basic benefits regardless of the insurance company selling them. Note: Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans generally do not cover dental, vision, and hearing costs, long-term care, or prescription drug costs, but they must cover at least a portion of the following basic benefits:
Compare coverage paths
The chart below shows the benefits included in each standardized Medicare Supplement plan. Some plans may not be available in your area. Only applicants first eligible for Medicare before 2020 may purchase Plans C, F, and high deductible F. ✓ means 100% of the benefit is paid.
Select plans to compare:
Dashed outlines indicate plans available only to people first eligible for Medicare before 2020.
| Benefits | Plans available to all applicants | Eligible before 2020 only | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan A | Plan B | Plan D | Plan G | Plan K | Plan L | Plan M | Plan N | Plan C | Plan F | |
| Benefits | Plan A | Plan B | Plan D | Plan G | Plan K | Plan L | Plan M | Plan N | Plan C | Plan F |
| Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital coverage (up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are used up) | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% |
| Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | 50% | 75% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% |
| Blood (first 3 pints) | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | 50% | 75% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% |
| Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | 50% | 75% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% |
| Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | 50% | 75% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | ||
| Medicare Part A deductible | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | 50% | 75% | 50% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | |
| Medicare Part B deductible | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | ||||||||
| Medicare Part B excess charges | Covered at 100% | Covered at 100% | ||||||||
| Foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits) | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | ||||
| Out-of-pocket limit in 2026 | $8,000 | $4,000 | ||||||||
1. Plans F and G also have a high deductible option that requires first paying a plan deductible of $2,950 before the plan begins to pay. Once the plan deductible is met, the plan pays 100% of covered services for the rest of the calendar year. High deductible Plan G does not cover the Medicare Part B deductible. Payments toward the Medicare Part B deductible count toward the high deductible plan deductible.
2. Plans K and L pay 100% of covered services for the rest of the calendar year once you meet the out-of-pocket yearly limit.
3. Plan N pays 100% of the Part B coinsurance, except for a copayment of up to $20 for some office visits and up to a $50 copayment for emergency room visits that do not result in an inpatient admission.
Plans F and G also have a high deductible option that requires first paying a plan deductible of $2,950 before the plan begins to pay. Once the plan deductible is met, the plan pays 100% of covered services for the rest of the calendar year. High deductible Plan G does not cover the Medicare Part B deductible. Payments toward the Medicare Part B deductible count toward the high deductible plan deductible.
Plans K and L pay 100% of covered services for the rest of the calendar year once you meet the out-of-pocket yearly limit.
Plan N pays 100% of the Part B coinsurance, except for a copayment of up to $20 for some office visits and up to a $50 copayment for emergency room visits that do not result in an inpatient admission.
Decision support
You cannot enroll in a Medicare Supplement policy until you have enrolled in Original Medicare (Parts A and B). After you have Original Medicare, you can choose to enroll in a Medicare Supplement Insurance policy during your Medicare Supplement Insurance Open Enrollment Period.
The Medicare Supplement Insurance Open Enrollment period is a once in a lifetime chance to enroll in a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan in which an insurance company cannot use medical underwriting to decide whether to accept your application. The Medicare Supplement Insurance Open Enrollment period starts on the 1st day of the 1st month in which you turn 65 (or older) and are enrolled in Medicare Part B. Some states have additional Open Enrollment Periods, including those for people under 65. During this time, you can sign up for any Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan that suits your needs.
In most cases the best time to enroll in a Medicare Supplement Insurance policy is during your Medicare Supplement Insurance Open Enrollment Period as you may not be able to buy a Medigap policy after that, and even if you are able to, it may cost more.
During your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, insurance companies are required by law to sell you any Medigap policy an insurance company offers regardless of any pre-existing conditions or health history. If you enroll after your Medicare Supplement Insurance Open Enrollment Period, (if, for example, you want to switch insurance carriers) you may have to answer health questions as insurance companies are generally allowed to use the medical underwriting process to decide whether to accept your application and how much to charge you for the Medigap policy, unless you have a guaranteed issue right under certain circumstances.
Guaranteed issue rights are available in specific situations outside of your Medigap Open Enrollment Period in which insurance companies must sell any Medigap policy they sell and cover your pre-existing conditions regardless of your past or present health issues. These are usually situations where you lose coverage due to circumstances outside of your control or you are exercising a trial right. There are many situations where you could qualify for guaranteed issue and in some states, there are additional special circumstances that qualify for it. It’s best to connect with a licensed agent if you think you may be eligible for one of these rights.
Your SmartMatch licensed insurance agent will make sure you understand all the details about your Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan’s costs and benefits before you enroll.
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This is a solicitation for insurance. Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. SmartMatch Insurance Agency and its divisions are licensed to sell insurance products in all 50 states and DC. Callers will be connected with a licensed insurance agent who can enroll you into a Medicare Advantage, Prescription Drug (Part D) and Medicare Supplement insurance plan.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 29 organizations which offer 3,502 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE (24 hours a day/7 days a week), or your local State Health Insurance Program to get information on all of your options. The plans we represent do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Not all plans offer all benefits. Benefits may vary by carrier and location. Limitations and exclusions apply. No obligation to enroll. SmartMatch Insurance Agency represents Medicare Advantage HMO, HMO SNP, PPO, PPO SNP, and PDP organizations that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment in any plan depends on contract renewal.
PLEASE NOTE: Medicare Supplement insurance is available to those age 65 and older enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B and, in some states, to those under age 65 eligible for Medicare due to disability or End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Enrollment in a plan may be limited to certain times of the year unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period or you are in your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period.
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