Medicare Supplement

Medicare Supplement basics for Nashua: what Medigap covers

NASHUA, N.H. — If you're new to Medicare or just trying to make sense of the letters and labels, Medicare Supplement insurance — often called Medigap — is one of the pieces that trips people up the most. It sounds like a full health plan, but it's really something narrower: extra coverage that works alongside Original Medicare to help pay the costs Medicare leaves behind.

Here's a plain-language look at what Medigap does, what it doesn't, and how the standardized plan letters work.

What Medigap actually is

Medigap is private insurance you can buy to go with Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). It doesn't replace Medicare. Instead, after Medicare pays its share of a covered service, your Medigap policy picks up some or all of what's left — things like coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles.

That's the key idea: Medigap fills the gaps in Original Medicare. It only works with Original Medicare, not with a Medicare Advantage plan.

How the standardized letters work

In most states, including New Hampshire, Medigap policies are standardized and labeled with letters: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. Every policy with the same letter must offer the same basic benefits, no matter which insurance company sells it.

So a Plan G from one carrier covers the same core benefits as a Plan G from another carrier. What can differ is the monthly premium and the customer service you get. That's why comparing letters — not carriers — is usually the first step.

A few notes worth knowing:

• Plans C and F are only available to people who became eligible for Medicare before Jan. 1, 2020.
• Plan G and Plan N are the most common choices for people newly eligible today.
• Plans K and L have out-of-pocket limits and cover a smaller share of costs in exchange for lower premiums.

For a full side-by-side of what each letter covers, medicare.gov keeps an updated chart.

What Medigap does not cover

Medigap is helpful, but it isn't a catch-all. Standard Medigap policies generally do not cover:

• Prescription drugs (you'd need a separate Part D plan)
• Routine dental, vision, or hearing care
• Long-term care (like a nursing home stay beyond what Medicare allows)
• Private-duty nursing

If prescription coverage matters to you — and for most people, it does — you'll want to pair Medigap with a stand-alone Part D drug plan. In 2026, Part D has a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap and a maximum deductible of $615. There's also the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly installments if you choose.

The Nashua picture

Nashua sits in Hillsborough County, and Medigap works a little differently from Medicare Advantage when it comes to geography. Medicare Advantage plan availability is set county by county, but Medigap is regulated at the state level. That means Granite State residents — whether in Nashua, Manchester, or up north — generally see the same set of standardized Medigap letters available, though prices and the number of carriers offering each letter vary.

If you want a local sounding board, New Hampshire's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), known here as ServiceLink, offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling to Nashua-area residents.

Timing matters more than most people realize

The best window to buy a Medigap policy is your Medigap Open Enrollment Period — a one-time, six-month stretch that begins the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurance companies can't turn you down or charge you more because of health problems.

After that window closes, in most cases carriers can use medical underwriting, which means they can look at your health history and either raise your premium or decline coverage. That's a big deal, and it's one of the most common mistakes newer beneficiaries make: assuming they can switch to Medigap later with no questions asked.

Medigap enrollment does not follow the Oct. 15 – Dec. 7 Annual Enrollment Period. That window is for Part D and Medicare Advantage.