Medicare Supplement

Why Medigap letters mean the same thing in Biloxi

BILOXI, Miss. — If you're new to Medicare, or helping a parent sort it out, the letters and labels can feel like alphabet soup. Part A, Part B, Part D, Advantage, Supplement, Plan G, Plan N. Take a breath. Medicare Supplement insurance — often called Medigap — is one of the easier pieces to understand once you know what it's built to do.

Here's a plain-English look at what Medigap covers, how the lettered plans work, and where it fits alongside the rest of your Medicare choices.

What Medigap actually is

Medigap is private insurance you can buy to help pay the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) leaves behind. Think coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles.

Original Medicare pays most of the bill for covered services, but not all of it. Without extra coverage, that remaining share has no annual cap — a long hospital stay or a serious illness could add up quickly. A Medigap policy steps in to pick up some or all of what's left, depending on which lettered plan you choose.

A few things Medigap is not:

• It is not Medicare Advantage (Part C). Advantage plans replace the way you get Original Medicare; Medigap works alongside Original Medicare.
• It does not include prescription drug coverage. For drugs, you'd add a separate Part D plan.
• It generally does not cover dental, vision, hearing aids, or long-term care.

How the standardized letters work

In most states, Medigap plans are standardized by the federal government and sold under letter names: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. (Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin standardize differently.)

Standardization is the important word. A Plan G sold by one company must offer the exact same benefits as a Plan G sold by another company. What can differ is the price, the company's customer service, and whether the premium goes up over time based on your age.

Two other rules worth knowing, per CMS guidance on Medicare.gov:

• Plans C and F are only available to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. If you turned 65 after that date, those two are off the table.
• Plans K and L have their own annual out-of-pocket limits, after which they pay 100% of covered costs for the rest of the year.

Plans G and N tend to be the most talked-about options for newer enrollees, but the "right" letter depends on your health, budget, and how much predictability you want.

When you can buy a Medigap policy

Timing matters more with Medigap than many people realize.

Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a one-time, six-month window that starts the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During this window, insurance companies can't turn you down or charge you more because of your health.

Outside that window, in most states, insurers can use medical underwriting. That means they can review your health history and either deny coverage, charge more, or make you wait. A few states have extra protections, but Mississippi generally follows the federal baseline. Missing this window is one of the most common — and most expensive — Medicare mistakes.

How Medigap fits with the rest of Medicare in Biloxi

Biloxi is in Harrison County, where beneficiaries can choose between staying with Original Medicare (and optionally adding a Medigap policy plus a stand-alone Part D drug plan) or enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan. You cannot have both a Medigap policy and a Medicare Advantage plan at the same time — it's one path or the other.

For 2026, a few program-level numbers are worth keeping in mind as you weigh your options:

• Part D has a new $2,100 out-of-pocket cap on covered prescriptions.
• The Part D deductible maxes out at $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA — the income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D — kicks in above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

These figures apply whether you go the Original Medicare + Medigap route or choose Advantage.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Waiting past your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment window. Even a healthy person can be surprised by underwriting later.
• Assuming all Plan Gs (or Ns) are different. The benefits are identical by law; compare price and the company's track record.
• Forgetting Part D. Medigap doesn't cover prescriptions. If you don't sign up for a drug plan when you're first eligible, you may face a lifelong late-enrollment penalty.
• Switching between Advantage and Medigap without checking underwriting rules. Moving from Advantage back to Original Medicare and buying Medigap later isn't always guaranteed.