Medicare Supplement plans fill the gaps Original Medicare leaves open.
Medicare Supplement, also called Medigap, pairs with Original Medicare to cover the costs Medicare leaves for you to pay, deductibles, copays, and coinsurance. You keep Original Medicare and add a policy that picks up what it doesn't.
What it is
Original Medicare pays a large share of your covered costs, but not all of it. A hospital stay, a series of doctor visits, a course of treatment, each leaves you responsible for a percentage or a flat amount. A Supplement policy is built specifically to cover that remaining share.
Because it works alongside Original Medicare rather than replacing it, you keep the freedom to see any doctor or specialist in the country who accepts Medicare, no network, no referral required. That matters a lot if you split time between states or want the flexibility to travel without worrying about coverage.
Supplement policies are standardized by letter (like Plan G or Plan N), which means the benefits for a given letter are the same no matter which company sells it. The differences between companies come down to price and customer service, which is exactly where an independent comparison helps.
Who this fits
- You want to see any doctor nationwide who accepts Medicare
- You travel often or spend part of the year in another state
- You'd rather pay a steady monthly premium than variable costs at the doctor
- You want to skip network rules and prior authorization
What we do for you
Explain the standardized letters
Plan G, Plan N, and the others cover different things. We walk through what each letter actually pays for, in plain terms.
Compare pricing across companies
Since the benefits are standardized, we shop the price and reputation across multiple companies for the same coverage.
Pair it with a drug plan
Supplement policies don't include prescription coverage, so we help you add a Part D plan that fits your medications.
Check your enrollment timing
Supplement pricing and underwriting rules depend heavily on when you apply. We make sure you're applying at the right time.
Advantage vs. Supplement, the honest version
Neither one is universally better. The right fit depends on your doctors, how often you travel, and whether you'd rather pay more monthly for flexibility or less monthly and share cost at the time of care.
Medicare Supplement tends to fit if you...
- Want to see any doctor who accepts Medicare, nationwide
- Travel often or split time between states
- Prefer predictable costs over a lower premium
- Want fewer referrals and less prior authorization
Medicare Advantage tends to fit if you...
- Want dental, vision, and hearing bundled in
- Are fine with a defined network of doctors
- Want a lower, sometimes $0, monthly premium
- Mostly get care close to home
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
We'll shop the letters and the companies for you.
Once you know which Supplement letter fits your situation, the real work is comparing prices across companies for that same coverage. That's what we do next.