AARP Medicare Supplement Plans: Coverage Options and Costs

Are AARP Medicare Supplement plans really worth the premium you pay?
They’re Medigap policies sold under the AARP name but run by UnitedHealthcare.
They sit alongside Original Medicare and help pay copays, coinsurance, and deductibles.
You must be an AARP member and enrolled in Parts A and B to buy one.
Premiums often cost more than smaller carriers for the same lettered benefits.
This post breaks down each AARP plan letter, what it covers, how much it typically costs, and simple rules to help you pick the best fit.

What AARP Medigap Plans Are and How They Work

AARP Medicare Supplement plans are private insurance policies sold under the AARP brand but run entirely by UnitedHealthcare. These plans work alongside Original Medicare Parts A and B to cover a lot of the out-of-pocket costs Medicare doesn’t pay, things like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles. When you go to a hospital or see a doctor, Medicare pays its share, and your Medigap policy covers some or all of what’s left.

Original Medicare covers a lot. But not everything. Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance) still leave you on the hook for a chunk of the bill. Medicare Part B typically covers 80% of approved outpatient costs, leaving you with 20% coinsurance. If that 20% is $2,000 after surgery, you owe $2,000 unless you’ve got supplemental coverage. Medigap fills that gap.

To buy an AARP-branded Medigap plan, you need to be an AARP member. Membership costs $15 for the first year and $20 annually after that in 2025. You also need to be enrolled in both Medicare Parts A and B. You can’t use a Medigap plan if you’re on a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), because Medicare Advantage already bundles supplemental coverage. It’s one or the other.

AARP Medigap plans are standardized by letter across most states: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. The benefits in Plan G are identical whether you buy it from AARP/UnitedHealthcare or another carrier. What changes is the premium, customer service, rate history, and any extra perks the insurer throws in. AARP/UnitedHealthcare offers eight of those ten letters: A, B, C, F, G, K, L, and N. Not every plan is available in every state, and three states (Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) use entirely different Medigap structures that don’t follow the A–N letter system.

AARP was founded in 1958 by Ethel Percy Andrus, a retired high school principal who wanted to improve life for older Americans. UnitedHealthcare, which administers these plans, reported $281.4 billion in revenue in 2023 and holds the largest Medicare supplement membership base in the country. That size brings advantages: widespread provider acceptance, solid service infrastructure. But it also means their premiums often run higher than smaller, regional carriers offering the exact same lettered plan.

Understanding the Standardized Medigap Plan Letters

There are ten standardized Medigap plan letters recognized nationally: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. Each letter corresponds to a specific set of benefits. Plan G from any insurer covers the same items that Plan G from any other insurer covers. The federal government sets what each letter must include, so comparison shopping comes down to price, rate stability, and service quality, not benefit differences.

AARP/UnitedHealthcare markets eight of those ten letters: A, B, C, F, G, K, L, and N. Plans D and M aren’t part of the AARP lineup. Availability varies by state. Some states offer all eight, others only a few. The insurer decides which plans to sell in each market based on demand, regulatory environment, and competitive landscape.

Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin don’t use the A–N letter system at all. Those three states created their own Medigap standardization rules before the federal system was set up, and they were allowed to keep their unique structures. If you live in one of those states, the plan names and benefits will be different, though the general idea (supplementing Original Medicare) remains the same.

Plan letters exist on a spectrum from basic to comprehensive. Plan A offers the fewest benefits. It covers the Part A coinsurance for hospital stays and hospice care, plus a portion of hospital costs after Medicare’s coverage is exhausted. Plan F is the most comprehensive option, covering nearly every gap in Original Medicare, including the Part B deductible and Part B excess charges. Plan G is nearly as complete but doesn’t cover the Part B deductible. Plans K and L take a different approach: they pay a percentage of costs (50% for K, 75% for L) and cap your annual out-of-pocket spending at specific dollar limits.

The specific benefits covered by each letter are laid out in a standardized chart maintained by Medicare. If a plan letter includes coverage for the Part A deductible, every insurer’s version of that letter must cover it. If it includes foreign travel emergency care, that benefit’s part of the package no matter which company you buy from. This makes it easier to compare policies because you’re really just comparing price, service, and extras.

Plan-by-Plan Breakdown of AARP/UnitedHealthcare Offerings

Plan A is the most basic Medigap option. It covers Part A coinsurance and hospital costs for up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are exhausted. It also covers Part B coinsurance or copayments (the 20% you’d otherwise owe) and the first three pints of blood each year. That’s it. No coverage for the Part A or Part B deductibles, no skilled nursing facility coinsurance, no foreign travel emergency care. It’s foundational coverage at a lower monthly premium. Plan A makes sense if you’re healthy, rarely use healthcare, and want catastrophic protection without paying for benefits you won’t use.

Plan B includes everything in Plan A, plus it covers the Medicare Part A deductible. In 2025, that deductible is $1,676 per benefit period. A benefit period starts when you’re admitted to a hospital and ends when you haven’t received inpatient care for 60 consecutive days. If you’re hospitalized twice in a year across two benefit periods, you’d owe the deductible twice. Plan B picks up that cost. The tradeoff is a slightly higher premium than Plan A, but you’re protected from a potentially large upfront hospital bill.

Plan C is more robust. It includes all the benefits of Plan B and adds coverage for the Medicare Part B deductible, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, and foreign travel emergency care (up to plan limits). The Part B deductible is $257 in 2025. That may not sound like much, but if you see specialists frequently, that $257 comes due every January 1. Plan C wipes it out. The downside: if you became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, you can’t buy Plan C. Congress eliminated the sale of Medigap plans that cover the Part B deductible for new beneficiaries, the idea being that people should have some skin in the game for Part B services. If you were eligible before that date, you can still purchase or keep Plan C.

Plan F is the most comprehensive Medigap plan ever created. It covers everything Plan C covers, plus Medicare Part B excess charges. Part B excess charges happen when a doctor who accepts Medicare patients but doesn’t accept Medicare assignment charges more than the Medicare-approved amount. Medicare pays its share of the approved amount, and you’re responsible for the rest, up to 15% above the approved charge. Plan F covers that overage. Like Plan C, Plan F is no longer available to people who became Medicare-eligible on or after January 1, 2020. If you qualified before that date, you can buy it. Many people who have Plan F keep it because it offers true first-dollar coverage. You pay almost nothing out of pocket for Medicare-covered services.

Plan G has become the most popular Medigap option for people who can’t buy Plan F. It covers everything Plan F covers except the Part B deductible. Once you’ve paid that $257 deductible each year, Plan G takes over and covers Part A and Part B coinsurance, the Part A deductible, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, Part B excess charges, and foreign travel emergency care. The premium’s typically lower than Plan F (when F is available), and the savings usually more than offset the $257 you pay out of pocket. Plan G is available to everyone, regardless of when they became Medicare-eligible.

Plan K and Plan L are structured differently. Instead of covering costs in full after you meet certain deductibles, they pay a percentage of covered services and cap your annual out-of-pocket spending. Plan K covers 50% of most benefits and has an out-of-pocket limit of $7,220 in 2025. Plan L covers 75% of most benefits and caps out-of-pocket spending at $3,610 in 2025. Once you hit that cap, the plan pays 100% of covered services for the rest of the calendar year. These plans are built for people who want lower monthly premiums and are comfortable covering half or a quarter of costs until they hit the cap. The risk is a bad health year where you pay several thousand dollars before the plan starts covering everything. The reward is monthly savings that can add up if you stay healthy.

Plan N is a middle-ground option. It covers the Part A deductible, Part A and Part B coinsurance (with some exceptions), skilled nursing facility coinsurance, and foreign travel emergency care. The catch: you’ll pay a copayment of up to $20 for some doctor office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that don’t result in admission. Plan N also doesn’t cover Part B excess charges. The premiums are typically lower than Plan G, making it attractive if you don’t mind small, predictable copays at the point of care. If you visit the doctor a few times a year, those copays are manageable. If you see specialists monthly, they add up, and Plan G may be the better value.

What Medigap Covers and What It Doesn’t

Every Medigap plan covers some combination of these items, depending on the plan letter:

• Part A coinsurance and hospital costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are used up
• Part A deductible
• Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
• Part B coinsurance or copayment
• Part B deductible (only Plans C and F, no longer available to new Medicare beneficiaries after January 1, 2020)
• Part B excess charges (Plans F and G)
• First three pints of blood each year
• Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance
• Foreign travel emergency care (up to plan limits, usually 80% of costs after a $250 deductible, with a lifetime limit of $50,000)

Medigap does not cover:

• Long-term care (nursing home stays that aren’t skilled nursing)
• Routine vision care
• Routine dental care
• Hearing aids
• Eyeglasses
• Private-duty nursing
• Prescription drugs

If you want prescription drug coverage, you’ll need to enroll in a standalone Medicare Part D plan. Medigap only supplements Original Medicare Parts A and B. It doesn’t add new categories of care. If Original Medicare doesn’t cover something, your Medigap plan won’t either.

How Medigap Premiums Are Priced

You’ll pay a monthly premium for your Medigap policy in addition to your Medicare Part B premium. The Part B premium in 2025 is $185 per month for most people. Your Medigap premium sits on top of that. The amount you pay depends on the plan letter, your location, your age (in some cases), and the insurer’s pricing method.

There are three common pricing methods:

Community-rated (also called no-age-rated): Everyone in the same geographic area pays the same premium for the same plan letter, regardless of age. A 65-year-old and an 85-year-old pay the same monthly amount. Premiums can still increase over time due to inflation, medical cost trends, or the insurer’s claims experience, but age isn’t a factor. UnitedHealthcare uses community rating in many states, which can be advantageous if you’re older when you buy the policy. The downside is that younger buyers may pay more than they would under an issue-age-rated system.

Issue-age-rated (also called entry-age-rated): Your premium’s based on your age when you first buy the policy, and it doesn’t increase just because you get older. If you buy a Plan G policy at age 65, you’ll pay the 65-year-old rate for as long as you keep the policy. Premiums can still rise due to inflation and claims experience, but you won’t be moved into a higher age bracket. This method rewards people who buy coverage early and keep it.

Attained-age-rated: Your premium’s based on your current age and increases as you get older. If you’re 65 today, you pay the 65-year-old rate. When you turn 66, your rate goes up. When you turn 70, it goes up again. These policies often have the lowest premiums when you first enroll, making them attractive to price-conscious buyers. The risk is that your premium will climb steadily over time, and by your late 70s or 80s, you may be paying significantly more than you would under a community-rated or issue-age-rated plan.

Premiums also vary widely by ZIP code. A Plan G policy in rural Montana may cost $150 per month, while the same Plan G in New York City costs $250. Insurers set rates based on local healthcare costs, competition, state regulations, and their own claims history in that market. AARP/UnitedHealthcare’s rates are often higher than smaller carriers in the same area, but the company’s size means you’re less likely to face sudden, dramatic rate increases or have the insurer exit the market entirely.

When and How to Enroll in AARP Medigap Plans

The ideal time to buy a Medigap policy is during your Medigap open enrollment period. This six-month window begins on the first day of the month you turn 65 and are enrolled in Medicare Part B. During this period, you have guaranteed issue rights. Insurers can’t deny you coverage, charge you more, or make you wait due to pre-existing health conditions. You can buy any Medigap plan the insurer offers in your state, and the price is the standard rate for your age and location.

If you’re under 65 and qualify for Medicare due to disability, some states offer a Medigap open enrollment period when you turn 65, and a few offer protections before that. Rules vary by state, so it’s worth checking what applies to your situation.

Once your open enrollment period ends, insurers can use medical underwriting. That means they’ll review your health history and either approve you at a higher premium, approve you with waiting periods for pre-existing conditions, or deny you outright. If you’re healthy, you may still get coverage at a reasonable rate. If you have chronic conditions, cancer history, or recent hospitalizations, you could be declined or priced out. This is why most experts recommend buying during open enrollment, even if you’re healthy and don’t think you need it yet. You lock in your right to coverage.

There are a few exceptions where you get guaranteed issue rights outside of open enrollment:

• Your Medicare Advantage plan is leaving your area or stops offering coverage, and you want to switch back to Original Medicare with a Medigap plan.
• You moved out of your Medicare Advantage plan’s service area.
• Your Medigap insurer goes bankrupt or loses its license.
• You were misled into dropping a Medigap policy.

These situations are narrow. For most people, open enrollment at 65 is the window that matters.

To enroll in an AARP-branded plan, you’ll need an AARP membership. You can join online or by phone. Once you’re a member, you apply for the Medigap policy through UnitedHealthcare, either online, by phone, or with the help of an insurance agent. The application will ask for your Medicare number, the date your Part B coverage started, and basic health information (if you’re outside open enrollment). Approval’s typically quick, and coverage can start as soon as the first of the following month.

AARP Medigap Provider Access and Guaranteed Renewability

One of the strongest selling points of any Medigap plan, including AARP’s, is that you can see any doctor or visit any hospital in the United States that accepts Medicare patients. There are no networks, no referrals, and no prior authorizations. If the provider accepts Medicare, they’ll accept your Medigap coverage. You show your Medicare card, the provider bills Medicare, and Medicare forwards the secondary claim to your Medigap insurer. You rarely have to file paperwork yourself.

This is very different from Medicare Advantage, where you’re usually limited to a network of providers and need referrals to see specialists. With Medigap, if you travel and need care in another state, you’re covered. If your regular doctor stops taking Medicare Advantage plans but still takes Medicare, you can keep seeing them.

Medigap policies are also guaranteed renewable. As long as you pay your premium on time, the insurer can’t cancel your coverage because of your health, claims history, or age. Even if you develop a serious illness, have multiple hospitalizations, or file expensive claims, your policy stays in force. The insurer can raise your premium (along with everyone else in your rating class), but they can’t single you out or drop you.

The downside is that premium increases can be steep, especially if the insurer has a lot of claims in your area or decides to raise rates to discourage renewals. If your rate goes up significantly, you can shop for a different Medigap plan, but you’ll face medical underwriting unless you have guaranteed issue rights. If you’re no longer healthy, switching may not be an option.

Comparing AARP Plans to Other Medigap Carriers

Because Medigap benefits are standardized, the real comparison is price, rate history, customer service, and extras. AARP/UnitedHealthcare’s Plan G is identical in benefits to Plan G from Mutual of Omaha, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, or any other carrier. What’s different is what you pay and how the company treats you when you need help.

AARP/UnitedHealthcare’s premiums are often higher than smaller, regional carriers. In some ZIP codes, the difference is $20 to $30 per month. Over a year, that’s $240 to $360. Over ten years, it’s $2,400 to $3,600. If the service and stability are the same, that’s money left on the table. However, AARP’s size brings advantages. Their rate increases tend to be more predictable, and they’re unlikely to exit the market or stop offering Medigap plans in your state. Smaller carriers sometimes raise rates sharply to push out older, sicker policyholders, or they leave the market entirely, forcing you to find new coverage and face underwriting.

Customer service varies. AARP/UnitedHealthcare has a large call center infrastructure, online account management, and a mobile app. You can usually get someone on the phone, though wait times can be long during open enrollment season. Smaller carriers may have more personalized service or faster claims processing, but they may also have limited support hours or fewer digital tools.

Some insurers offer extra perks that aren’t part of the standardized Medigap benefits. AARP policies in certain states include gym membership discounts through Renew Active, access to a 24/7 nurse hotline, and discounts on hearing aids. These perks are state-dependent and not guaranteed. They’re nice to have, but they shouldn’t be the deciding factor. A $30-per-month premium difference over ten years is $3,600, enough to pay for a gym membership, hearing aids, and more out of pocket.

When comparing carriers, focus on:

• Monthly premium for the same plan letter in your ZIP code
• Rate increase history over the past five years (many state insurance departments publish this data)
• Financial strength rating (A.M. Best, Moody’s, or Standard & Poor’s ratings show whether the insurer’s likely to remain solvent)
• Customer complaints (check your state insurance department’s website for complaint ratios)
• Ease of claims processing (ask your doctor’s billing office which insurers are easiest to work with)

It’s worth getting quotes from at least three carriers before you buy. Many people choose AARP because the brand feels trustworthy, and that’s valid. But trustworthiness doesn’t always mean lowest cost or most responsive service.

Real-World Cost Examples and Scenarios

Premiums vary dramatically by location, age, and pricing method. Here’s how it can play out in practice:

A 65-year-old woman in Pensacola, Florida, shopping for Plan G in 2025, might see community-rated premiums around $180 to $220 per month from AARP/UnitedHealthcare. A smaller regional carrier might offer the same Plan G for $150 per month. That’s a $30 to $70 monthly difference. If she stays healthy and keeps the policy for ten years, the regional carrier could save her $3,600 to $8,400, assuming both insurers increase rates at similar percentages. But if the regional carrier raises rates 10% per year while AARP raises rates 5% per year, the gap narrows or reverses over time.

A 67-year-old man in rural Montana applying outside his open enrollment period might face medical underwriting. If he has well-controlled diabetes and high blood pressure, some insurers will approve him, possibly with a waiting period for diabetes-related claims. Others will decline him outright. If he’d enrolled at 65 during open enrollment, he would have been approved at standard rates with no waiting period, regardless of his health.

A 70-year-old in New York on an attained-age-rated Plan N might have started at $120 per month at age 65. By 70, that premium could be $175 per month. By 80, it might be $280. A community-rated plan that started at $180 per month might now be $230 due to inflation and claims trends but wouldn’t have increased purely due to age. The attained-age policy was cheaper early on, but the community-rated policy may cost less over a lifetime if held long enough.

State-by-State Availability and the Three Exception States

AARP/UnitedHealthcare offers at least one Medigap plan in every U.S. state. However, not all eight AARP plan letters are available everywhere. Some states may only offer Plans G, N, and A. Others might offer all eight except Plan K. Availability depends on state regulations, demand, and UnitedHealthcare’s strategic decisions.

Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin operate under their own Medigap rules and don’t use the standard A–N letter system. In these states, Medigap plans have different names and different benefit structures, though they still serve the same purpose: supplementing Original Medicare.

• Massachusetts has a Medicare Supplement Core plan and a Medicare Supplement Supplement 1 plan. The Core plan provides basic benefits, and Supplement 1 adds extra coverage. Insurers can also offer optional riders.
• Minnesota uses a Basic plan plus optional riders. The Basic plan covers a standard set of benefits, and you can add coverage for additional items like the Part A deductible or foreign travel emergency care.
• Wisconsin has a Base plan with optional riders. The Base plan includes the most essential benefits, and riders let you customize coverage for things like the Part B deductible or skilled nursing coinsurance.

If you live in one of these three states, the AARP Medigap options will follow the state-specific structure. The plans are still administered by UnitedHealthcare, and the same principles apply: standardized benefits, community-rated or attained-age-rated premiums, guaranteed renewability, and access to any Medicare-accepting provider.

What Medigap Doesn’t Cover and Why It Matters

Medigap policies only fill gaps in Original Medicare. They don’t expand coverage into areas Medicare doesn’t touch. That means no coverage for:

• Long-term care: If you need help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, or eating over an extended period, Medigap won’t pay for a nursing home, assisted living, or in-home care. You’d need long-term care insurance, Medicaid (if eligible), or out-of-pocket funds.
• Vision care: Routine eye exams, glasses, and contact lenses aren’t covered by Medicare or Medigap. Medicare only covers vision care related to a medical condition, like cataract surgery.
• Dental care: Cleanings, fillings, crowns, dentures. None of it’s covered. You’d need a standalone dental plan or pay out of pocket.
• Hearing aids: Medicare and Medigap don’t cover hearing tests or hearing aids, though AARP members may get discounts through the insurer’s extras program.
• Prescription drugs: Medigap doesn’t include Part D drug coverage. You’ll need a separate Medicare Part D plan if you take regular medications. Trying to go without Part D can result in a late enrollment penalty if you sign up later, and that penalty lasts for life.

Some people assume a comprehensive plan like Plan F or Plan G covers “everything.” It doesn’t. It covers every cost-sharing item that Original Medicare leaves behind, but only for services that Medicare covers in the first place. If Medicare says no, Medigap says no.

Pros and Cons of AARP Medigap Plans

Pros:

• Predictable costs after the deductible: Once you’ve met any applicable deductible (like the $257 Part B deductible if you have Plan G), your out-of-pocket costs are minimal or zero for Medicare-covered services.
• Freedom to see any provider: No networks, no referrals, no prior authorizations. You’re not locked into a plan’s list of doctors or hospitals.
• Guaranteed renewable: As long as you pay your premium, coverage can’t be canceled due to health changes or claims.
• Nationwide acceptance: You can travel or move without losing coverage or having to find new in-network providers.
• Standardized benefits: Easy to compare across carriers, because a Plan G is a Plan G no matter who sells it.
• Brand recognition and financial stability: AARP’s a trusted name, and UnitedHealthcare’s the largest Medicare supplement insurer in the country, offering some reassurance that the company will be around long-term.

Cons:

• Higher premiums than some competitors: AARP/UnitedHealthcare’s rates are often above smaller carriers offering identical coverage.
• Premiums increase over time: Even with community-rated pricing, your rate will go up periodically due to inflation, medical cost trends, and the insurer’s claims experience.
• No prescription drug coverage: You’ll need a separate Part D plan, which adds another monthly premium.
• Limited coverage for Plans K and L: If you choose a lower-premium plan like K or L, you’ll pay a significant amount out of pocket before hitting the annual cap.
• Doesn’t cover services Medicare doesn’t cover: Vision, dental, hearing aids, and long-term care aren’t included.
• Underwriting risk if you miss open enrollment: If you don’t buy during your six-month open enrollment window, you may be declined or charged more due to your health.

Steps for Comparing and Choosing a Medigap Plan

Start by identifying which plan letters are available in your state. Use Medicare’s online plan finder or call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for a list. AARP/UnitedHealthcare’s website also shows which of their eight letters are offered in your ZIP code.

Next, decide which benefits matter most to you. If you want the simplest experience with almost no out-of-pocket costs, Plan G’s usually the best fit. If you’re comfortable with small copays at the doctor and want to save on premiums, Plan N makes sense. If you’re on a tight budget and rarely use healthcare, Plan A or Plan K might be enough. If you qualified for Medicare before January 1, 2020, and want true first-dollar coverage, Plan F’s an option.

Get quotes from at least three carriers for the same plan letter. Many people use an independent insurance agent who can pull quotes from multiple insurers at once. Others call insurers directly or use online comparison tools. Make sure you’re comparing the same plan letter (Plan G to Plan G, not Plan G to Plan N) or the benefits won’t match.

Check each insurer’s rate history. Some state insurance departments publish historical rate increases by insurer and plan. If one company has raised rates 8% per year for the last five years and another has raised rates 3% per year, factor that into your decision. A plan that’s $10 cheaper today might be $50 more expensive in five years if the rate increases are much steeper.

Ask about discounts. Some insurers offer household discounts if two people in the same home enroll, or discounts for paying annually instead of monthly. AARP membership itself costs $15 the first year and $20 per year after that, so factor that into the total cost of an AARP plan.

Verify your doctors accept Medicare. If you’re on Original Medicare with a Medigap plan, any provider who accepts Medicare assignment will work with your coverage. But if your doctor opts out of Medicare entirely (rare, but it happens), you’ll pay their full charges out of pocket, and Medigap won’t help. Most doctors accept Medicare, but it’s worth confirming, especially if you see specialists.

Enroll during your open enrollment period if at all possible. If you’re past that window, weigh the risk of being declined or charged more against the cost of going without supplemental coverage. If you’re healthy, you’ll likely be approved. If you have recent surgeries, active cancer treatment, or significant chronic conditions, you might not be.

Rate Increase Risk and Long-Term Cost Considerations

Medigap premiums go up over time. That’s true for every carrier, every plan, and every pricing method. The question is how much and how often.

Community-rated plans tend to have more stable, predictable increases because the risk’s spread evenly across all ages in the pool. Attained-age-rated plans often start cheaper but climb faster as you age. Issue-age-rated plans fall somewhere in between, with increases tied to inflation and claims but not your birthday.

Insurers can raise rates for several reasons:

• Medical cost inflation: If healthcare gets more expensive, insurers pass some of that cost to policyholders.
• Claims experience: If the insurer’s Medigap policyholders file more or bigger claims than expected, the insurer raises rates to cover the shortfall.
• Aging of the pool: If healthy people drop coverage and only sicker, older people keep their policies, the insurer’s costs go up, and so do premiums.
• State approval: Rate increases must be filed with and approved by the state insurance department. Some states cap how much an insurer can raise rates in a single year, others allow larger increases.

AARP/UnitedHealthcare tends to have moderate rate increases because their large membership spreads risk. Smaller carriers can be less predictable. Some keep rates low for years to attract customers, then raise rates sharply once their pool ages. Others exit the market entirely, forcing policyholders to shop for new coverage.

If your premium becomes unaffordable, your options are limited. You can switch to a less comprehensive plan (like moving from Plan G to Plan N), but you’ll face underwriting unless you have guaranteed issue rights. You can drop Medigap altogether and enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan during the annual enrollment period, but then you lose the ability to see any Medicare provider without network restrictions. Or you can pay the higher premium and adjust your budget.

The best defense is choosing a financially stable insurer with a history of reasonable rate increases and locking in coverage during your open enrollment period when you’re guaranteed approval.

FAQs and Common Questions About AARP Medigap Plans

Can I have Medigap and Medicare Advantage at the same time?
No. Medigap’s designed to work with Original Medicare Parts A and B. Medicare Advantage (Part C) is an alternative to Original Medicare that bundles hospital, medical, and often prescription drug coverage into one plan. You can’t use both. If you have a Medigap plan and later enroll in Medicare Advantage, your Medigap coverage will terminate. If you drop Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare, you can apply for Medigap again, but you may face underwriting unless you have guaranteed issue rights.

Do I need to join AARP to get an AARP Medigap plan?
Yes. AARP membership’s required to purchase AARP-branded Medigap plans.

Final Words

In the action, we ran through what these plans cover, common costs like premiums and deductibles, and the exclusions and riders that often trip people up. We used simple scenarios to show when a plan helps and when it doesn’t.

When you shop, compare benefits, limits, and provider rules, and ask about claims handling and refunds. Check how a plan fits your budget and health needs.

Choosing between options can feel easier. With clear steps, you can pick the right aarp medicare supplement plans for more confidence and peace of mind.

FAQ

Q: What are the top 5 Medicare Supplement plans for seniors?

A: The top 5 Medicare Supplement plans for seniors are Plan G, Plan N, Plan F (if you’re grandfathered), Plan D, and Plan K—each balances premiums and out‑of‑pocket costs differently; check local rates and benefits.

Q: What is the average cost of AARP Medicare Supplement insurance?

A: The average cost of AARP Medicare Supplement insurance is typically $100 to $300 per month, depending on age, ZIP code, tobacco use, and the specific plan you choose.

Q: Who sells AARP Medicare Supplement plans?

A: AARP Medicare Supplement plans are sold by UnitedHealthcare, which issues and manages the policies under license from AARP; AARP itself doesn’t sell the plans directly.

Q: What is Plan G with AARP?

A: Plan G with AARP is a Medigap policy that covers almost all Part A and B costs except the Part B deductible, offering low out‑of‑pocket expenses after you pay that deductible.