Medicare plans
Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)
A Medicare Supplement — often called Medigap — works alongside Original Medicare instead of replacing it. It pays the deductibles and coinsurance Medicare leaves behind, so your costs become far more predictable. There is no network: if a provider accepts Medicare, they accept your supplement.
The short version
- Works with Original Medicare — no network, no referrals
- Standardized plans (Plan G, Plan N and others) by federal law
- Same benefits from every carrier — only price and service differ
- Travels with you anywhere in the country
- Requires a separate Part D plan for prescriptions
How we handle it
Choosing medicare supplement without guessing.
Medigap is the one part of Medicare where the product is genuinely identical across carriers. Plan G from one company covers exactly what Plan G from another covers — that is federal law, not marketing. What differs is the premium, the rate history and how the company behaves at renewal time.
Which means the work is not "which plan", it is "which carrier, at what price, with what track record on rate increases". A carrier with a low first-year rate and a history of steep increases is a worse deal than one that starts a little higher and holds. That history is public, and it is what I look at.
Timing matters more here than anywhere else
Your Medigap open enrollment period runs six months from the month you turn 65 and are enrolled in Part B. During it you cannot be turned down or surcharged for health reasons. Outside it, Arizona carriers can underwrite — so a health event between now and then can close doors that are open today. If you are inside that window, we should be talking now rather than later.
Questions
Medicare Supplement, answered.
What is the difference between Plan G and Plan N?
Both cover the same core gaps. Plan G leaves you only the annual Part B deductible; Plan N costs less each month but adds small copays for office and emergency room visits and does not cover Part B excess charges. Which one wins depends on how often you actually see a doctor — we run the math on your real usage.
Can I be turned down for a Medicare Supplement?
During your six-month Medigap open enrollment period, which starts when you are 65 and enrolled in Part B, you cannot be turned down or charged more for health reasons. Outside that window, and outside a guaranteed-issue situation, Arizona carriers can use medical underwriting. Timing matters enormously here.
Does a supplement cover my prescriptions?
No. Medigap plans sold today do not include drug coverage. You pair the supplement with a standalone Part D plan — we build both sides at the same time so nothing falls through the cracks.
Also worth reading
The other three.
These decisions interlock. A supplement without a drug plan leaves a hole; an Advantage plan changes what long-term care planning has to cover.
Free tools
Run the numbers yourself.
No email required, nothing stored, nothing sold.
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2 min Advantage or Supplement?
Six questions about your doctors, your travel and your budget. Tells you which side of the Medicare fork actually fits — and why.
Find my plan type -
1 min Enrollment Window Checker
Enter your birthday and get your exact Initial Enrollment Period dates, your Medigap open enrollment window, and the deadlines that carry lifetime penalties.
Check my dates -
3 min Annual Cost Estimator
Compare what a year on a Medicare Advantage plan versus a Supplement plus Part D would realistically cost you — premiums, deductibles and expected visits included.
Estimate my year
Next step
Let's see whether medicare supplement is actually your answer.
One conversation, no cost, no obligation. Bring your prescription list and your doctors — that is all it takes to do real work. You’ll speak to Brian Penner directly.