What is the average cost for medicare supplement insurance

If you have Original Medicare and want to control your out-of-pocket costs, you might want to buy Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap. Medigap policies cover certain copays, coinsurance and deductibles you would otherwise be responsible for after Medicare pays its share of covered services.

The government standardizes Medigap plans, but they’re sold by private insurance companies, which set the premiums. So what you’ll pay can depend on such factors as geographic location, age, sex, tobacco use, health and medical history, insurance company, and plan.

Here’s what you need to know about the cost of Medicare Supplement Insurance.

Medigap premiums

All Medigap policies have premiums. The least expensive plans for a 65-year-old might cost as little as $30-$40 per month. For older beneficiaries and plans with more coverage, monthly premiums can cost hundreds of dollars.

Generally speaking, you’ll pay the lowest premiums for plans with less coverage, like Plan K or Plan L. Conversely, a plan that covers more, such as Plan G, tends to have a higher premium.

🤓Nerdy Tip

Read your quotes carefully when you’re shopping for plans. Sometimes Medigap pricing can be pretty unintuitive; for example, you might see a high-coverage plan such as Plan G priced below Plan A, which offers only basic coverage.

Other Medigap costs

Some Medigap plan types have other costs in addition to their premiums:

• Medigap Plan N has copays for certain office and emergency room visits.

• Medigap Plan K and Plan L require you to pay for a percentage of covered services. With Plan K, you pay 50% out of pocket. With Plan L, you pay 25%.

• High-deductible plans require you to meet a deductible of $2,490 in 2022 before the Medigap policy pays for anything.

Medigap cost comparison chart

Here are the price ranges for each Medigap plan type available to a 65-year-old nonsmoker in North Carolina, which has average pricing among U.S. states.

🤓Nerdy Tip

A $341 Medigap Plan G policy has the same standardized Medicare coverage as one that costs $96. Companies may add on some extra perks like discounted gym memberships, but the core Medicare benefits are the same, so go ahead and compare based on price.

How Medigap companies set prices

You may see Medicare Supplement Insurance plans priced in a few ways:

• Community-rated. Premiums aren’t based on age — everyone pays the same monthly premium. This kind of pricing may also be called “no age-rated.”

• Issue-age-rated. Premiums are based on your age when purchased. Generally, younger people pay lower premiums than older people. This kind of pricing may also be called “entry age-rated.”

• Attained-age-rated. Premiums are based on your current age, meaning costs will go up as you age.

Some states require certain pricing for Medicare Supplement Insurance, so not all pricing methods are available in every state.

Medigap discounts

You might be able to save on premiums by qualifying for a discount with some companies. Here are a few examples:

• Household discounts for living in the same household as another qualifying person with a Medigap policy from the same company.

• Online application discounts for signing up online rather than by phone or an agent.

• Automatic or prepayment discounts for setting up automatic withdrawals from a bank account or prepaying for a full year of coverage.

• Multi-policy discounts for members who combine a Medigap policy with other insurance from the same company, such as life insurance or a dental plan.

Sign up early for the lowest Medigap prices

To get the best price and easiest enrollment experience, sign up for a Medigap plan during your Medigap open enrollment period. This period happens only once. It starts once you’re 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B, and lasts for six months. (If you're still working after 65 and covered by a group employer plan that is deemed creditable coverage, your six-month period starts after you’ve ended active employment or no longer have that insurance.)

Medigap policies are cheapest and easiest to get during this open enrollment period because insurance companies aren’t allowed to factor your health or medical history into your price. After the period ends, the prices may go up or you may be denied coverage due to your health status or medical history.

If you have additional questions about Medicare, visit Medicare.gov or call 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227, TTY 877-486-2048).

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