In short
- Medigap works only with Original Medicare. It can't be used with a Medicare Advantage plan, and it doesn't cover prescriptions, so most people add a Part D plan.
- Plan letters are standardized. Plan G from one company has the same benefits as Plan G from any other, so the premium and the company are what you're comparing.
- Your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period starts the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older. Nebraska has no birthday rule that reopens it.
- The Nebraska Department of Insurance says most Nebraska Medigap policies are attained-age rated, so the premium rises as you get older.
- On October 2, 2026, Medicare.gov's starting estimates for Plan G for a 65-year-old in Lincoln ran from $137 to $311 a month, not counting one outlier.
Most people who sit down at my table in Lincoln have heard the word "Medigap" and have a stack of mail about it. Here is how a supplement actually works in Nebraska, what drives the price, and the one deadline you can't get back.
What does a Medicare Supplement plan pay for?
A Medicare Supplement, also called Medigap, is private insurance that pays its share of the costs Original Medicare leaves to you. Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) has no yearly limit on what you pay out of pocket, so without other coverage, a bad year has no ceiling.
Here is what Original Medicare leaves you in 2026 before any supplement:
| Cost | What you pay with Original Medicare alone (2026) |
|---|---|
| Part A hospital deductible | $1,736 per benefit period |
| Hospital days 61 to 90 | $434 a day |
| Lifetime reserve days | $868 a day |
| Skilled nursing facility, days 21 to 100 | $217 a day |
| Part B deductible | $283 a year |
| Part B coinsurance (doctors, outpatient surgery, imaging) | 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, with no cap |
| Part B excess charges | Up to 15% above the approved amount, from doctors who don't accept assignment |
A benefit period starts when you're admitted and ends after you've gone 60 days in a row without inpatient hospital or skilled nursing care. So two hospital stays in one year can mean two Part A deductibles.
A supplement picks up some or all of those costs, depending on the plan letter. You still pay your Part B premium to Medicare ($202.90 a month in 2026), plus a separate premium to the insurance company. Each policy covers one person, so a married couple buys two policies, and they don't have to pick the same plan.
How does Medigap work with Original Medicare?
Medicare pays first, then your supplement pays its share. There is no network. You can see any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare, with no referrals. That means Bryan Health or CHI Health St. Elizabeth here in Lincoln, Nebraska Medicine in Omaha, or a clinic in Arizona if you spend the winter there.
What a supplement doesn't do:
- It doesn't cover prescriptions. Medigap plans sold after 2005 have no drug coverage, so you'll want a separate Part D plan.
- It doesn't cover routine dental, vision, hearing aids or long-term care. See what Medicare doesn't cover.
- It doesn't work with Medicare Advantage. A Medigap policy can't pay Medicare Advantage copays. It's one road or the other, and my page on Medigap vs Medicare Advantage walks through that choice.
Any Medigap policy issued since 1992 is guaranteed renewable. The company can't cancel it because your health changes, as long as you pay the premium.
Which Medigap plans can you buy in Nebraska?
Nebraska sells the 10 standardized plans: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M and N. Plans C and F, the two that cover the Part B deductible, can only be sold to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Every company that sells Medigap must offer Plan A.
Most people I work with end up comparing three or four of these:
| Plan | What it leaves you to pay | Often fits |
|---|---|---|
| Plan G | The Part B deductible ($283 in 2026) | People who want one predictable yearly cost |
| Plan N | Part B deductible, copays of up to $20 (some office visits) and $50 (ER visits without admission), and excess charges | Healthy people whose doctors accept assignment |
| High-Deductible Plan G | Covered costs up to $2,950 in 2026 ($3,050 in 2027), then nothing more | People with savings who want a low premium |
| Plan F | Nothing for Medicare-approved costs | Only people eligible for Medicare before 2020 |
| Plans K and L | A share of costs up to a yearly limit: $8,000 (K) and $4,000 (L) in 2026, rising to $8,360 and $4,180 in 2027 | People who want a cap and a lower premium |
What does a Medicare Supplement cost in Nebraska?
For a 65-year-old in Lincoln, Plan G usually starts somewhere between about $140 and $310 a month, depending on the company. I checked the Medicare.gov Medigap tool on October 2, 2026, for ZIP 68508 in Lancaster County, age 65:
| Plan | Policy listings | Range of starting estimates |
|---|---|---|
| Plan G | 31 | $137 to $311 a month (the middle is about $205), plus one outlier starting near $857 |
| Plan N | 30 | $109 to $278 a month, plus one outlier starting near $745 |
Those are estimates, not quotes, and each range spans sex and tobacco use. The Nebraska Department of Insurance gives wider statewide Plan G ranges for age 65: $135 to $766 a month in its 2026 fact sheet, and $110 to $765 in its Medicare Basics guide.
What moves your price:
- Age. Younger buyers usually pay less at the start.
- Tobacco use. Companies can charge tobacco users more, and some give non-smokers a discount.
- Sex. Some companies offer women a discount.
- Where you live. Premiums can vary by area.
- Other discounts. Some companies discount for married people, paying yearly, paying by electronic funds transfer, or having more than one policy.
- The rating method. This one matters most over time.
How does the rating method change your price later?
Every company prices its policy one of three ways:
| Rating method | How the premium is set | What it means at 75 and 85 |
|---|---|---|
| Community-rated | Generally the same for everyone, regardless of age | Rises with inflation and claims, not your birthday |
| Issue-age-rated | Your age when you buy | Lower if you buy young, and it doesn't climb because you age |
| Attained-age-rated | Your current age | Often the lowest at 65, then it goes up as you get older |
The Nebraska Department of Insurance says most Nebraska Medigap policies are attained-age rated. That's why I never compare only today's price. A policy that's $15 cheaper at 65 can be the expensive one by 75.
When can you buy Medigap without health questions?
Your best window is your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It starts the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older, and it happens once. During it, any company must sell you any Medigap plan it offers in Nebraska, can't use medical underwriting, and can't charge you more for health problems.
A few details that trip people up:
- It's tied to Part B, not your birthday. If you're still working and delaying Part B because you're on a large employer's plan, the window waits and starts when Part B does.
- Pre-existing conditions. A company can make you wait up to 6 months for coverage of a condition treated or diagnosed in the 6 months before your policy starts, unless you had at least 6 months of creditable coverage without a break of more than 63 days.
- Under 65 on disability. The Nebraska Department of Insurance's 2026 fact sheet says Nebraskans on Medicare because of a disability also get a Medigap Open Enrollment when Part B begins, though companies may not offer every plan. Earlier state guides said the opposite, so confirm with the company or Nebraska SHIP before you rely on it. More on Medicare under 65.
Outside that window, you need a guaranteed issue right. Examples: your Medicare Advantage plan leaves your area, employer coverage that paid after Medicare ends, or you use your first-year trial right after trying Medicare Advantage at 65. The full list is on my page about Medigap open enrollment in Nebraska.
Can you switch Medigap companies later?
Yes, if you can pass medical underwriting, meaning the new company asks health questions and approves you. People switch to get a lower premium for the same letter, or to drop benefits they don't use. If you try it:
- Apply with the new company first. Don't cancel anything yet.
- If you're approved, you get a 30-day free look period on the new policy. Expect to pay both premiums for that month.
- Then cancel the old policy. Once it's gone, you usually can't get it back.
If your health has changed, staying put may be the smart move. A supplement you can keep is worth more than a cheaper one you can't get.
How do I compare Medigap carriers for you?
I'm an independent agent, so I compare several companies side by side. The benefits are identical for each letter, which makes the comparison about money and the company behind the policy:
- Today's premium, with every discount you qualify for.
- The rating method, and what the policy might cost you in 5 and 10 years.
- Rate history. How has this company's Nebraska premium moved over the last few years?
- Financial strength, from ratings like AM Best. A few well-known Medigap companies are based in Omaha, including Mutual of Omaha and Physicians Mutual.
- Service. How easy is it to reach a real person when a claim goes sideways?
Our list of Medicare Supplement companies in Nebraska explains the company-level data, and my Lincoln Medicare Supplement page covers the local details.
Where can you get a second opinion?
You don't have to take my word for any of this. Medicare.gov has a Medigap policy search by ZIP code. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (TTY 1-877-486-2048). Nebraska SHIP (formerly SHIIP), part of the Nebraska Department of Insurance, gives unbiased one-on-one counseling at 1-800-234-7119, and the Department points people there for personal Medigap comparisons. Here's who does what.
When you're ready to see real numbers from several companies, talk to me. My help costs you nothing.
Frequently asked questions
No. A Medigap policy only works with Original Medicare, and it can't pay Medicare Advantage copays, deductibles or premiums. If you join a Medicare Advantage plan, you would generally drop the supplement. Most Medigap policies don't cancel automatically when you join, so you contact the insurance company yourself. Think it through first, because getting a supplement back later in Nebraska can mean answering health questions.
No. Medigap plans sold after 2005 don't include prescription drug coverage. With Original Medicare and a supplement, you add a standalone Part D plan for your medications. For 2027, Nebraska has 9 standalone Part D plans, and the most you'll pay out of pocket for covered drugs is $2,400. Going without Part D or other creditable drug coverage can mean a late penalty later.
No. The Nebraska Department of Insurance describes only the federal 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period. After it ends, companies may refuse coverage for health reasons unless you have a guaranteed issue right. You can still apply to switch companies at any time of year, but you'll usually answer health questions, and the company can say no or charge more.
Usually, yes. The Nebraska Department of Insurance's 2026 fact sheet says people who qualify for Medicare because of a disability get the same Medigap Open Enrollment when their Part B begins, although insurance companies may not offer every plan to them. Older state guides said otherwise, so confirm with the company or Nebraska SHIP before you count on it. When you turn 65, a new Medigap Open Enrollment Period starts.
No. Every Medigap policy issued since 1992 is guaranteed renewable, so the company can't cancel it because of your health as long as you keep paying the premium. The company can raise rates for everyone who has the same policy, and attained-age policies also go up as you get older. That's why rate history matters as much as today's price.
It depends on the plan letter, the company, your age, sex and tobacco use, and the rating method. On October 2, 2026, the Medicare.gov Medigap tool showed starting estimates for a 65-year-old in Lincoln ZIP 68508 of $137 to $311 a month for Plan G and $109 to $278 for Plan N, leaving out one high outlier for each. Those are estimates, not quotes.
Sources
- Medicare.gov: Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS Product No. 02110, March 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Medicare.gov: Find a Medigap policy (ZIP 68508, accessed October 2, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Nebraska Department of Insurance: Medicare Supplement Fact Sheet 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- CMS: 2026 Medicare Parts A and B premiums and deductibles (opens in a new tab)
- Medicare.gov: Medicare & You 2027 (opens in a new tab)
- CMS: 2027 out-of-pocket limits for Medigap Plans K and L (opens in a new tab)
- Nebraska Department of Insurance: SHIP and SMP (opens in a new tab)
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
