The Best Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans in Alabama

More than a third (36%) of Original Medicare beneficiaries in Alabama are enrolled in Medicare Supplement Insurance.¹ Also known as Medigap, this type of optional health insurance policy is sold by private insurers and available to those who have Original Medicare (Part A and Part B).

Original Medicare helps pay for medically necessary services such as hospital stays, treatment for illnesses, diagnostic tests and physician services. Some of the remaining costs — such as premiums, deductibles and copays — can be covered through a Medigap plan. 

What Are the Best Alabama Medicare Supplement Plans?

Insurers are permitted to sell 10 different types of Medigap plans in Alabama, but not every plan is offered by all companies. Medigap plans in Alabama are standardized by letter category, which means policies offered within the same category cover the same expenses. 

All Alabama Medigap plans (A-D, F, G, K-N) cover some or all of the following:

• Part A coinsurance and hospital costs
• Part B coinsurance and copays
• First three pints of blood
• Part A hospice care coinsurance

You can find plans that cover additional expenses such as Part A and B deductibles, foreign travel, excess charges by physicians and skilled nursing facility coinsurance. 

Plan F provides the most comprehensive coverage, but isn't available to those eligible for Medicare after January 1, 2020. Plan G is similar to Plan F but doesn't cover Part B deductibles. Plan N, which covers most common Medigap benefits except Part B deductibles and excess charges, is also a popular option.

Private insurance companies set the premiums they charge for Medicare Supplement Insurance in Alabama. This means that even standardized plans have different costs. Be sure to compare plans even if they're within the same letter category. 

How Do I Enroll in Medigap Plans in Alabama?

Once you're 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B, you have a personal, six-month Medigap open enrollment period. During this time, you can join any Alabama Medicare Supplemental Insurance policy that is sold where you live. Insurers can't turn down your Medigap application because of your medical condition and must sell you a plan at the same cost as a person in good health.

Medigap is only an option if you have Original Medicare — you can't join a Medigap plan if you receive coverage through a Part C Medicare Advantage Plan.

After your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment period has expired, you may be denied Medigap coverage or charged higher premiums based on your health, unless you qualify for guaranteed issue rights. In these exceptions, an insurance company must sell you a Medicare Supplement Insurance policy at the same rate as a person in good health.

Here are some of the situations in which guaranteed issue rights apply:

• You were enrolled in Medicare Advantage for less than a year, and for the first time, before deciding to return to Original Medicare.
• You move out of your Medicare Advantage plan's service area.
• Your insurer leaves Medicare.

You have an existing Medigap policy and lose coverage for a reason that's not your fault — for example, the insurance company goes bankrupt.