Medicare Supplement Plans in Texas: What Medigap Covers

Why the gaps exist

Original Medicare pays most but not all of a claim. In 2026 the Part A hospital deductible is $1,736 per benefit period, and Part B has a $283 annual deductible followed by 20% coinsurance with no annual cap.

That uncapped 20% is the real risk. On an ordinary year it is minor. On a year involving surgery, chemotherapy or an extended hospital stay it is not, and that is the exposure a Medigap policy is designed to close.

Standardized letters make shopping simple

Medigap plans are standardized by federal law, so Plan G from one carrier covers exactly what Plan G from another covers. The benefits are identical; only price, service and rate-increase history differ.

This is genuinely unusual in insurance and it works in your favor: for the same letter plan you can shop on price without worrying that you are giving something up. People new to Medicare in 2026 generally cannot buy Plan C or Plan F, which covered the Part B deductible; Plan G is the closest equivalent still available to new enrollees.

The six-month window that decides your options

Your Medigap open enrollment period runs six months from when your Part B starts. During it you have guaranteed issue: Texas carriers must sell you any Medigap policy they offer, at their standard rate, regardless of your health history.

Once that window closes, most Medigap applications in Texas are medically underwritten. A carrier can charge more or decline entirely based on your health. This is the single most consequential deadline in Medicare, and it is easy to miss because nothing announces it.

What Medigap does not do

Medigap policies do not include prescription drug coverage. If you choose Original Medicare plus Medigap, you also need a standalone Part D plan, or you risk the Part D late enrollment penalty.

They also do not cover dental, vision or hearing, which is where Medicare Advantage plans often look more attractive. Whether those extras outweigh the network difference depends on how much dental and vision care you actually expect to use, and what the plan's limits on them are.

Buying Medigap in Texas

Medigap policies are sold by private carriers licensed in Texas, and while the benefits of a given letter plan are federally standardized, the premium for identical coverage can differ substantially between carriers. Shopping the same letter across several carriers is the entire game.

Because a Medigap policy works with any provider who accepts Medicare, it sidesteps the network question completely. For someone in the rural counties of West Texas and the Panhandle, or for anyone who wants to keep access to Baylor Scott & White, Memorial Hermann, Methodist, CHRISTUS and UT Southwestern without checking a network list every year, that is often worth the higher monthly premium.

Common Medigap questions

Can I have Medigap and Medicare Advantage together? No. Medigap only works alongside Original Medicare, and it is illegal for a carrier to sell you one while you are enrolled in an Advantage plan.

Does Medigap cover prescriptions? No. You need a separate Part D plan, or you risk the permanent Part D late enrollment penalty.

What if I develop a health condition later? Your existing policy cannot be cancelled for health reasons as long as you pay the premium. That guarantee is exactly why the six-month guaranteed-issue window matters so much.