The first time you look at a Medicare Supplement comparison chart, it can feel like a wall of letters, columns and check marks. Medigap plans run from A through N, and each one offers a different level of coverage. The chart exists to make comparing them easier, but only if you know how to read it.
Here’s a simple walkthrough, plus a worksheet you can fill in before you talk with anyone about plans.
Step 1: Start with what Original Medicare leaves behind
Original Medicare provides important coverage, but it doesn’t pay for everything. Deductibles, coinsurance, copayments and other costs can still leave you with out-of-pocket expenses. A Medicare Supplement plan, also called Medigap, can help pay for some of those remaining costs.
Medigap policies are sold through private insurance companies, and the plans are standardized from Plan A through Plan N. Before you look at the chart, it helps to think about which costs worry you most. Is it the hospital deductible? The 20% that comes after a doctor visit? Unexpected bills from several appointments in a row?
Step 2: Read the chart one cost at a time
Our Medicare Supplement plans comparison page lets you look through each plan and see its benefits and coverage compared with the others.
Don’t try to absorb the whole chart at once. Pick the two or three costs you identified in Step 1, and look at how each plan handles those. You’ll see quickly which plans address them and which don’t.
Step 3: Narrow your list
After scanning the chart, narrow your list to the plans that fit your needs. We have a dedicated page for each of the most commonly discussed plans:
If you’d like a side-by-side explanation, our post on the difference between Medicare Supplements C, F, G and N is a good next step, and so is our comparison of high-deductible Plan F and high-deductible Plan G.
Step 4: Look beyond the chart
A comparison chart shows what a plan covers, but it doesn’t tell you everything you need. Some things to think about on your own:
- Your monthly premium and your likely costs. Think about both.
- Dental, vision and hearing. If those matter to you, see our page on dental, vision and hearing.
- Whether a supplement is right for you at all. For some people a different path makes more sense. Our post on why a Medicare Supplement plan may not be right for you is worth a read.
Your worksheet
Print this or copy it into a notebook before you sit down with an advisor.
| Question | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Which costs worry me most? | |
| Which plans on the chart address those costs? | |
| Which plans can I realistically get? | |
| What is my budget for a monthly premium? | |
| Do I want dental, vision or hearing included? | |
| Am I sure I want a supplement and not another option? |
Filling this out first makes any conversation faster and more useful. If you want help choosing, our post on how to choose a Medicare Supplement plan goes deeper.
Help in Allentown and Kingston
You don’t have to decode the chart alone. As an independent agency, we don’t sell for one company, so we can compare options based on what fits you. We follow our 4E process: Evaluate, Educate, Endorse, Enroll. First we look at your needs, then we explain your options in plain English, then we recommend a plan, and then we help you enroll. As a veteran-owned agency with more than 20 years of experience, we never pressure anyone.
In Allentown: if you’re searching for Medicare supplement agents in Allentown, our Cedar Crest Boulevard office is ready to sit down with you or talk by phone at (610) 694-9435, 1245 S Cedar Crest Blvd, Suite 200, Allentown, PA 18103.
In Kingston: if you’re comparing Medigap plans in Kingston, our Pierce Street office can walk you through the chart at (570) 851-7676, 480 Pierce St, Suite 320, Kingston, PA 18704.
There’s no cost to meet with us. Carriers pay our commission, so you pay the same either way.