Medicare Supplement

Medigap Letters Explained: A 2026 Guide for Roswell

ROSWELL, N.M. — If you've ever looked at a Medicare Supplement brochure and felt lost in a sea of letters — Plan A, Plan G, Plan N — you're not alone. Medigap plans are labeled with letters for a reason, and understanding that system is one of the best ways to shop with confidence and avoid a costly mistake.

Roswell Seniors: What Those Medigap Letters Actually Mean

Here's a plain-language guide to how Medigap works, what the letters mean, and where Roswell readers can turn for personal help.

What Medigap Is (and What It Isn't)

Medigap, also called Medicare Supplement Insurance, is a private policy that helps pay some of the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) leaves behind — things like coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles.

A few things Medigap does not do:

• It doesn't replace Original Medicare. You keep Parts A and B and add Medigap on top.
• It doesn't include prescription drug coverage. For that, you'd enroll in a separate Part D plan.
• It doesn't work with Medicare Advantage. You choose one path or the other — not both.

Medigap policies are sold by private insurance companies, but the benefits inside each lettered plan are set by federal rules.

Why the Plans Are Labeled with Letters

In most states, Medigap plans are standardized. That means Plan G from one company must offer the exact same core benefits as Plan G from another company. The letters — currently A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N — each represent a specific mix of benefits.

Two important notes:

• Plans C and F are only available to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.
• Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin standardize their Medigap plans differently.

Because benefits within a letter are identical across companies, the differences you'll see between carriers usually come down to price, customer service, and how they handle rate increases over time.

How This Applies in Roswell

Roswell is in Chaves County, where Medigap availability follows the same federal standardization rules used across New Mexico. That means the letter labels you see in a mailer or on Medicare.gov's plan finder refer to the same benefit structures no matter which company is offering them.

Availability of specific carriers can vary by ZIP code and county, so it's worth checking Medicare.gov or calling 1-800-MEDICARE to see what's offered in your area.

The Enrollment Window That Matters Most

The single most important date for Medigap shoppers is the start of your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. This is a one-time, six-month window that begins the month you're 65 and enrolled in Part B.

During this window:

• You have a guaranteed right to buy any Medigap policy sold in your state.
• Insurers can't turn you down or charge you more because of health conditions.

Outside that window, in most states, insurers can use medical underwriting — meaning they can review your health history and potentially deny coverage or charge more. This is the mistake many people don't realize they're making: waiting too long and losing that guaranteed-issue protection.

How Medigap Fits with Part D and 2026 Numbers

Because Medigap doesn't cover prescriptions, most people with a Medigap policy also enroll in a stand-alone Part D drug plan. A few 2026 program-level figures worth knowing:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") was eliminated in 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly amounts, if that helps your budget.
• IRMAA income-based surcharges for Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.

Key dates: the Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 – December 7, and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs January 1 – March 31. Medigap itself doesn't follow those windows — it has its own rules — but Part D does.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming all Plan Gs are different. The benefits are the same; the price and service are not.
• Waiting past your six-month open enrollment window. You may lose guaranteed-issue rights.
• Forgetting Part D. Medigap doesn't cover most prescriptions.
• Trying to have Medigap and Medicare Advantage at the same time. It's not allowed.