What Medigap is
Medigap, also called Medicare Supplement Insurance, is a policy sold by private insurance companies to people who have Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). It pays some or all of the costs Original Medicare leaves to you, such as the Part A hospital deductible ($1,736 per benefit period in 2026), the 20% Part B coinsurance, and skilled nursing facility coinsurance.
A few things to know before you shop:
- Medigap works only with Original Medicare. You can't use it with a Medicare Advantage plan.
- It doesn't include drug coverage, so most people also join a Part D drug plan.
- You pay a monthly premium to the Medigap company on top of your Part B premium ($202.90 standard in 2026).
- Each policy covers one person. Spouses buy separate policies.
Arizona's Medigap rules
Arizona regulates Medigap through Arizona Revised Statutes § 20-1133 and Arizona Administrative Code R20-6-1101, which adopts the national NAIC model Medigap regulation (Fall 2023 edition) with Arizona changes. The Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI) enforces these rules. Here is what they mean for you:
Under 65: no state requirement
Arizona does not require companies to sell Medigap to people under 65 who have Medicare because of a disability, ALS or end-stage renal disease. Bills in the 2026 legislative session (HB 2433 and SB 1191) would have required it for people with ALS or end-stage renal disease, but they did not become law.
No birthday rule
Arizona has no birthday rule, anniversary rule or other yearly right to change Medigap policies without health questions. Your protections are the federal ones described below.
No attained-age pricing
Arizona's rule bars insurers from filing attained-age rates. Insurers may offer an early-enrollment discount that shrinks over time, but they must tell every applicant how it will shrink (A.R.S. § 20-1133(B)).
30-day free look
You have 30 days after you get a new Medigap policy to review it and cancel for a refund of the premium. If you are replacing a policy, don't cancel the old one until you decide to keep the new one.
If you are under 65, your choices may be limited, so look at how Medicare Advantage, a Medicare Savings Program or AHCCCS could help with costs. When you turn 65 and have Part B, you get a full 6-month Medigap open enrollment period like anyone else.
Because Arizona does not allow attained-age rating, an Arizona Medigap premium won't rise just because you have a birthday. It can still go up for inflation and the company's claims. Ask any company how its policy is priced and how its rates have changed.
When to buy: your Medigap open enrollment period
Your Medigap open enrollment period lasts 6 months and starts the first month you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. It happens once and doesn't repeat. During it, any company selling Medigap in Arizona must sell you any policy it offers and can't charge you more because of your health. It may make you wait up to 6 months for coverage of a pre-existing condition, but that wait is shortened by any months of creditable health coverage you had just before.
Delaying Part B delays this window. If you're still working with employer coverage, your Medigap open enrollment period doesn't start until you sign up for Part B. See working past 65. After the window closes, Arizona insurers can use medical underwriting, which means they can turn you down or charge more because of your health.
Federal guaranteed-issue rights
Outside open enrollment, federal law still guarantees you can buy certain Medigap policies, with no health questions, in situations such as these:
- Your Medicare Advantage plan leaves your area or stops serving Medicare. You can buy Plan A, B, D, G, K or L (or C or F if you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020). Apply as early as 60 days before your plan coverage ends and no later than 63 days after it ends.
- You move out of your Medicare Advantage plan's service area, for example when you leave Arizona or move to a county the plan doesn't serve.
- Your employer or union coverage that pays after Medicare ends.
- Trial right: you joined a Medicare Advantage plan when you first got Medicare at 65, or dropped a Medigap policy to try one, and you leave within the first 12 months.
- Your Medigap company goes bankrupt or misleads you.
Keep the notice or letter that shows when your other coverage ends; the Medigap company may ask for it.
2027 plan exits: some companies stop offering Medicare Advantage plans in some Arizona counties for 2027. If yours is one of them, you likely have this guaranteed right. See Arizona plans ending in 2027.
Medigap plan letters
Medigap policies are standardized by federal law and named by letter. A Plan G from one company has the same benefits as a Plan G from any other; companies differ on price, how they set rates and service. Each plan letter pays at least part of the Part A coinsurance and hospital costs for an extra 365 days, Part B coinsurance, the first 3 pints of blood, and hospice coinsurance.
| Plan | Part A deductible | Part B deductible | Part B excess charges | Skilled nursing coinsurance | Foreign travel emergency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | No | No | No | No | No |
| B | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| C* | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | 80% |
| D | Yes | No | No | Yes | 80% |
| F* | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 80% |
| G | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 80% |
| K | 50% | No | No | 50% | No |
| L | 75% | No | No | 75% | No |
| M | 50% | No | No | Yes | 80% |
| N | Yes | No | No | Yes | 80% |
- *Plans C and F can't be sold to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. If you were eligible before then, you may still buy them. The Part B deductible is $283 in 2026.
- Plans K and L pay 50% and 75% of most costs, including Part B coinsurance, and have a yearly out-of-pocket limit: $8,000 for Plan K and $4,000 for Plan L in 2026. After you reach it, the plan pays 100% of covered services for the rest of the year.
- Plan N pays the Part B coinsurance except for a copayment of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that don't lead to an inpatient admission.
- High-deductible Plan G has the same benefits as Plan G after you pay a yearly deductible of $2,950 (2026). A high-deductible Plan F exists for people eligible before 2020.
- Foreign travel emergency coverage pays 80% of emergency care outside the U.S. during the first 60 days of each trip, after a $250 yearly deductible, up to a $50,000 lifetime limit. That can matter for trips to Mexico; see Does Medicare work in Mexico?
- Part B excess charges are amounts, up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount, that doctors who don't accept Medicare's payment as full payment may bill.
Snowbirds and seasonal residents
Medigap is often the simpler fit for people who split the year between Arizona and another state. Original Medicare and Medigap have no network: the policy pays its share wherever you get Medicare-covered care in the United States from a provider who accepts Medicare. There are no service areas, so being away for months doesn't affect your policy. Your premium is based on where you live when you buy, so tell the company if you change your permanent address. More on our snowbirds page.
Medigap or Medicare Advantage?
| Original Medicare + Medigap | Medicare Advantage | |
|---|---|---|
| Doctors and hospitals | Any provider in the U.S. who accepts Medicare | The plan's network; PPOs cover some out-of-network care at a higher cost |
| What you pay | Part B premium, Medigap premium and a Part D premium; little or nothing when you get care, depending on the plan letter | Part B premium and the plan's premium, if any; copays and coinsurance when you get care, up to a yearly limit |
| Drug coverage | Separate Part D plan | Usually included |
| Switching later | Changing Medigap policies after open enrollment can require health questions in Arizona | You can change plans each year during the Annual Enrollment Period |
Read more about Medicare Advantage in Arizona and when you can buy Medigap in Arizona.
Where to get help
- Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions, Insurance Consumer Services: (602) 364-2499, for questions about Arizona insurance law and complaints about an insurer.
- Medicare: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048) and the federal guide Choosing a Medigap Policy at Medicare.gov.
To see Medigap policies sold where you live, compare plans in your ZIP code, or call (602) SENIORS (602-736-4677), TTY 711 to reach a licensed insurance agent with Benefits Life, at no cost to you, about policies from the companies they work with.
Sources
- Arizona Legislature — A.R.S. § 20-1133, Medicare supplement insurance; early enrollment discounts
- Arizona Administrative Code R20-6-1101, Medicare supplement incorporation by reference and modifications (amended effective May 6, 2024), via Cornell LII
- Arizona Legislature — HB 2433 (2026), Medicare supplement insurance; ALS; ESRD (introduced bill)
- NAIC — State Medigap rules: "Birthday Rule" and coverage for under 65, as of May 11, 2026
- Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions — Contact us
- Medicare.gov — When can I buy Medigap?
- Medicare.gov — Compare Medigap plan benefits
- CMS — Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy a Medigap policy in Arizona if I'm under 65?
Arizona law doesn't require insurance companies to sell Medigap policies to people under 65 who have Medicare because of a disability, ALS or end-stage renal disease. Some companies may choose to, and federal guaranteed-issue rights can apply in certain situations. When you turn 65, you get your own 6-month Medigap open enrollment period, when companies must sell to you regardless of your health.
Does Arizona have a Medigap birthday rule?
No. As of 2026, Arizona has no birthday rule or other yearly right to switch Medigap policies without health questions. Outside your open enrollment period and federal guaranteed-issue situations, an Arizona insurer can ask about your health and may turn you down or charge more.
How are Medigap premiums priced in Arizona?
Arizona's rules don't allow insurers to file attained-age rates, the method where premiums rise automatically as you get older. Policies sold in Arizona are generally priced by issue age or community rating, and Arizona law lets insurers give an early-enrollment discount that shrinks over time if they explain how it shrinks. Premiums can still go up because of inflation and claims.
My Medicare Advantage plan is leaving my county in 2027. Can I get a Medigap policy?
Usually yes. When a Medicare Advantage plan stops serving your area, federal law gives you a guaranteed right to buy Medigap Plan A, B, D, G, K or L (or C or F if you were eligible for Medicare before 2020). You can apply up to 60 days before your plan coverage ends and no later than 63 days after it ends, and the company can't deny you or charge more for health conditions.
Does Medigap work if I spend part of the year outside Arizona?
Yes. A Medigap policy pays its share of Medicare-covered care from any doctor or hospital in the United States that accepts Medicare, so it works the same in Phoenix, in another state or on the road. Plans C, D, F, G, M and N also pay 80% of emergency care outside the U.S. during the first 60 days of a trip, after a deductible.
