If you’re on Original Medicare, you already know it doesn’t cover everything. Medicare pays about 80% of your Part B costs — the remaining 20% has no cap. A Medicare Supplement (also called Medigap) fills that gap, so a bad year doesn’t turn into a financial problem.

I’m a licensed Medicare Supplement broker in North Carolina and South Carolina, and I’ve been helping people sort through these plans since 1999. There’s no cost to work with me, and you pay the same premium whether you come through me or go direct to the company.

Why a Medigap plan instead of Medicare Advantage?

I don’t sell Medicare Advantage. That’s a deliberate choice, not an oversight.

With a Medigap plan, you can see any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare. No network. No referrals. No prior authorization fights when you need care. If you split time between the Carolinas and somewhere else — or you travel, or you want access to a specialist outside your county — that freedom matters.

Medicare Advantage plans often look cheaper up front. The trade-off comes later: network restrictions, prior authorizations, and out-of-pocket costs that show up exactly when you’re sick. I’d rather put you on coverage I’d give my own family.

Plan G: the plan most people end up choosing

Medigap plans are standardized by letter. A Plan G from one company covers exactly the same things as a Plan G from any other company — the only real difference is price and service. That’s why comparing carriers matters so much.

Plan G covers your Part A deductible, all Part A and B coinsurance, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, Part B excess charges, and foreign travel emergency care. The only thing you pay out of pocket is the annual Part B deductible. After that, covered services are paid in full.

Plan N is the other common choice. Lower monthly premium, but you’ll have small copays at the doctor and ER, and it doesn’t cover Part B excess charges. If you’re healthy and rarely see a doctor, it can save money. If you want predictability, Plan G usually wins.

When you can enroll — and why timing matters

Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a one-time, six-month window that starts the month you’re both 65 and enrolled in Part B. During those six months, no company can turn you down or charge you more because of your health history.

After that window closes, insurers in both Carolinas can use medical underwriting. They can review your health history and decline you or raise your rate. This is the single most important thing to understand about Medigap: waiting is not free.

A North Carolina rule worth knowing

North Carolina law gives people who qualified for Medicare under 65 due to disability access to certain Medigap plans before they turn 65. Then, at 65, they get a brand-new full six-month Open Enrollment Period with no health screening at all. Not every state offers that second chance. If this is your situation, don’t let that window pass.

If you already missed your window

You’re not out of options. You can still apply any time — the company just gets to underwrite it. Depending on your health, you may still qualify at a good rate. And certain situations create guaranteed-issue rights that reopen a protected window, like losing employer coverage. It’s worth a phone call before you assume the door is closed.