Medicare Supplement plans, known as Medigap in Virginia, help pay for the cost of certain out-of-pocket expenses that Original Medicare doesn’t cover. There are 10 standardized Medigap plans, designated by letters (A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N). Plan F is the most comprehensive, and its monthly premium is generally higher than that of other plans. However, because a Medicare Supplement plan’s benefits are standardized, they will remain the same regardless of which carrier you choose.
You can enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan anytime if you are enrolled in Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B, and meet the eligibility requirements. For example, you must have lived in the state of Virginia for at least half the year to be eligible to buy a Medicare Supplement plan. You can also enroll during the six-month Medigap Coverage Virginia Open Enrollment Period that begins the month you have both Medicare Parts A and B, and ends three months after the month in which you turn 65. If you enroll during this window, you cannot be denied coverage based on pre-existing health conditions.
If you aren’t sure which Medicare Supplement plan is right for you, the best way to determine your options is to review the plans available in your county. Then, compare those to the overall average prices across the state of Virginia. You can use Medicare’s Plan Comparison tool to find a list of plans available in your county, and then enter your ZIP code to view the average monthly premium for each option.
Plan F is the most popular Medicare Supplement plan in Virginia, with 206,607 enrollees as of 2024. However, new enrollees should be aware that as of January 1, 2020, Medicare beneficiaries who are new to Medicare will no longer be able to sign up for Plan F due to MACRA’s implementation.
While Plan F is an excellent choice, it’s not the only option for Virginia residents who want a robust Medicare Supplement. Medico, an insurance company that sells Plan N to beneficiaries in the state of Virginia, offers the lowest-cost Plan N policy in the state, with a cost of $204 per year for a 65-year-old woman who doesn’t smoke. Plan N offers robust coverage levels, but it doesn’t cover doctors’ excess charges.
When comparing prices, be sure to consider each provider’s reputation for customer service. To do this, we looked at customer satisfaction data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and complaint statistics from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. We gave each provider a star rating based on these metrics, with five stars meaning high customer satisfaction and one star indicating low customer satisfaction. You can use this information to narrow your search for the best Medicare Supplement plan in Virginia for you.