What a Medicare Supplement actually does
Original Medicare pays most of your hospital and medical costs, but not all of them. It leaves behind deductibles, coinsurance and copayments, and — unlike almost every plan you had while you were working — it has no annual out-of-pocket maximum. A Medicare Supplement, or Medigap, policy is private insurance bought to cover that remainder.
Because Medigap works alongside Original Medicare rather than replacing it, there are no provider networks. Any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare accepts your supplement, anywhere in the country. For people in the Coastal Bend who travel, split time elsewhere, or see specialists in San Antonio or Houston, that is often the deciding feature.
Plan G, Plan N and Plan F
Medigap plans are standardised by letter under federal law. Every Plan G sold in Texas covers exactly the same services, whichever company issues it. What changes between carriers is the premium, the rating method, and how aggressively that carrier has raised rates on existing policyholders. Comparing letters without comparing companies is half the job.
| Plan F | Plan G | Plan N | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part A deductible | Covered | Covered | Covered |
| Part B deductible | Covered | You pay | You pay |
| Part B coinsurance | Covered | Covered | Small copays apply |
| Part B excess charges | Covered | Covered | Not covered |
| Foreign travel emergency | Covered | Covered | Covered |
| Open to new enrollees | No — closed 2020 | Yes | Yes |
Plan F closed to anyone who became eligible for Medicare on or after 1 January 2020, so for most people today the decision is Plan G against Plan N. Our full breakdown is here: Medicare Plan F vs Plan G vs Plan N.
The enrollment window that decides everything
This is the part people get wrong, and it is expensive. Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is the six months beginning the month you turn 65 and are enrolled in Part B. Inside that window you have a guaranteed issue right: any Medigap policy sold in Texas, at the standard rate, regardless of your health history.
Once it closes, carriers can generally apply medical underwriting. They can ask about your health, charge you more, or decline you outright. The window does not reopen annually the way Medicare Advantage enrollment does — a misconception we correct constantly.
Working with a local Medicare agent
Medicare is the most local purchase this agency handles. The questions that actually decide the plan — whether your cardiologist takes it, whether your prescriptions sit on the formulary, whether the plan travels when you visit family — are answered by someone who knows the providers here.
Amiel Garcia runs the Medicare practice at Professional Insurance Solutions. We keep two offices, one in Corpus Christi and one in Portland ten minutes over the Harbor Bridge, and we serve beneficiaries across Portland, Ingleside, Aransas Pass, Rockport, Gregory, Sinton and Robstown as well as Corpus Christi itself. Appointments are by arrangement — most people prefer we come to them. There is no fee for any of it — carriers build agent commission into the premium whether you use an agent or not, and Medigap rates are filed with the state, so going direct does not buy the same plan cheaper.
We also re-run the comparison every year against your actual doctors and your actual medication list. Most years nothing needs to change. The years something does, you will be glad somebody looked.
For the product detail statewide, see Medicare Supplement and Medigap plans in Texas. If you are weighing a network plan instead, read Medicare Advantage plans in Texas. And if you are still working past 65 with employer coverage, our group health page covers how the two interact.
Tell us your birthday, your doctors and what you take. We will tell you which plan letter fits and which carrier is pricing it best right now.