Medicare Supplement Plans: What You Need to Know About Medigap in 2027
Key Takeaways
- Medicare Supplement plans help pay Original Medicare deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance, including up to 365 extra hospital days.
- Ten standardized plan letters are available in Florida and Pennsylvania, but insurers do not sell every plan in every ZIP code.
- Medigap Open Enrollment lasts six months after you have Part B at age 65 or older. Annual Enrollment does not reset this period.
- Prescription drugs require separate Part D coverage. The 2027 standard benefit has a $700 deductible and a $2,400 out-of-pocket threshold.
Medicare Supplement plans help pay the deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance left by Original Medicare. Original Medicare includes Part A hospital coverage and Part B medical coverage, but you remain responsible for a share of approved costs.
Medicare Supplement insurance, also called Medigap, is private insurance that works with Original Medicare. It pays its share after Medicare pays its approved amount. The benefits for each plan letter are standardized, so a Plan G covers the same core benefits regardless of the insurance company selling it.
At Absolute Best Insurance, our licensed agents help clients in Florida and Pennsylvania compare Medicare coverage, premiums, and plan benefits at no charge.
What Are Medicare Supplement Plans?
Medicare Supplement plans are policies sold by private insurance companies to help pay your share of Original Medicare costs. These costs include deductibles, coinsurance, copayments, and the first three pints of blood.
Federal Medigap benefit standards require every plan letter to provide the same core coverage, no matter which insurance company issues it. Premiums, available plan letters, underwriting rules, and customer service differ by carrier and ZIP code.
Each spouse must buy a separate policy. A Medicare Supplement policy covers one person only.
| “Medicare Supplement insurance does not replace Original Medicare. It works alongside it to help cover the costs that would otherwise come out of your pocket.” – Stacy Murphy, Owner/Operator – Absolute Best Insurance |
What Do Medicare Supplement Plans Cover in 2027?
Florida and Pennsylvania use the 10 standardized plan letters: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. Not every insurance company sells every letter in every ZIP code.
All Medicare Supplement plans cover Part A coinsurance and hospital costs for up to 365 additional days after Original Medicare benefits are used. Depending on the plan letter, your policy can also help cover:
- Part B coinsurance or copayments
- Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayments
- Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance
- The Part A deductible
- Part B excess charges
- Foreign travel emergency care, subject to plan limits
Plan K and Plan L cover a percentage of several benefits and include annual out-of-pocket limits. Plan N covers Part B coinsurance but can include copayments for certain office and emergency room visits.
What Medicare Supplement Plans Do Not Cover
Medicare Supplement coverage does not pay for:
- Prescription drugs
- Routine dental care
- Routine vision care or eyeglasses
- Hearing aids
- Long-term care
- Private-duty nursing
For 2027, the standard Part D benefit has a $700 deductible and a $2,400 annual out-of-pocket threshold for covered drugs. CMS published the 2027 Part D benefit parameters. Review your Part D formulary, pharmacies, premium, deductible, and drug costs separately from your Medicare Supplement policy.
How Do You Enroll in a Medicare Supplement Plan?
Your best time to enroll is your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It lasts six months and starts the first month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B.
During this period:
- Insurance companies cannot deny your application because of a pre-existing condition.
- Insurance companies cannot charge you more because of your health.
- You can buy any Medicare Supplement plan sold in your area.
After this six-month period ends, insurers can use medical underwriting unless you qualify for a guaranteed issue right or a state-specific enrollment protection. Medicare’s Medigap enrollment guidance confirms that this six-month period does not repeat every year.
Medicare Annual Enrollment Is Different From Medigap Enrollment
Medicare Annual Enrollment (AEP) runs from October 15 through December 7 each year. It gives you the chance to review and change Medicare Advantage or Part D prescription drug coverage.
Annual Enrollment does not create a new Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It does not give you an automatic right to buy or change a Medicare Supplement policy without underwriting. Use our guide to the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period to review the Medicare changes you can make each fall.
Medicare Supplement Rules in Florida and Pennsylvania
Florida provides added protections for residents who qualify for Medicare before age 65 because of disability or end-stage renal disease. State law gives eligible Florida residents enrolled in Part B a six-month opportunity to buy a Medicare Supplement policy without health-based pricing. Florida also provides a two-month enrollment opportunity after eligible group health coverage ends. Read the Florida Medicare Supplement statute.
In Pennsylvania, Medicare Supplement policies work with Parts A and B, require separate policies for each spouse, and cannot be paired with Medicare Advantage. The six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period does not repeat annually. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department’s Medicare Supplement guidance explains these rules in detail.
Get Free Help From Our Team
Absolute Best Insurance has helped clients with Medicare coverage for more than 20 years. We compare available Medicare Supplement policies, explain the coverage in clear terms, and handle the enrollment process with you.
“Medicare coverage should reflect the doctors you see, the care you use, and the costs you are prepared to pay,” says Stacy Murphy. “We take the time to compare the available options so you can choose with confidence.”
We serve clients through offices in Tamarac, Deerfield Beach, Greenacres, Port St. Lucie, Melbourne, Sebastian, Vero Beach, Winter Park, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Absolute Best Insurance does not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to the plans we offer. For information about all Medicare options, visit Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
FAQs About Medicare Supplement Plans
Q: Are Medicare Supplement plans the same as Medigap?
Yes. Medigap and Medicare Supplement plans are two names for the same type of private insurance.
Q: Do I need Medicare Parts A and B?
Yes. You must have both Medicare Part A and Part B before you can buy a Medicare Supplement policy.
Q: Can I have Medicare Advantage and a Medicare Supplement plan at the same time?
No. You cannot have an active Medicare Advantage plan and a Medicare Supplement policy at the same time.
Q: Are Plan C and Plan F available in 2027?
Plan C and Plan F remain available only to people who first became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Your insurance company must also offer the plan in your area.
Q: Does a Medicare Supplement plan include prescription drug coverage?
No. Medicare Supplement policies sold after 2005 do not include prescription drug coverage. You can add a standalone Medicare Part D plan for drug coverage.
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- Tamarac: (954) 642-2101
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- Greenacres & Vero Beach: (561) 420-0280
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- Winter Park: (407) 970-8623
- Lancaster, PA: (717) 736-3388