Keeping up with everything happening in the Medigap world during Open Enrollment season can feel like a full-time job. This digest pulls together the biggest developments into one scannable roundup, with a link to our in-depth coverage on each story.
Medigap Premiums Are Rising Faster Than Usual
Plan G rate increases among major carriers have ranged from roughly 12% to 26% in the most recent cycle — well above the 13% average seen the year before. New York’s largest Medigap carrier received approval for a 17.8% Plan G increase, one of the largest single-year hikes regulators there have approved in recent memory.
Full story: Medigap Premium Increases for 2027 →A Bill in Congress Could Reopen Plan F
The Close the Medigap Act of 2025, introduced in the House of Representatives, would expand guaranteed issue protections, restore first-dollar Medigap coverage, and add broker transparency requirements. It has not passed, and Plan F remains closed to anyone newly eligible for Medicare since 2020.
Full story: Is Medigap Plan F Coming Back? →New Mexico Joins the Birthday Rule States
Legislation enacted in New Mexico in 2026 creates a birthday rule switching window effective 2027, letting Medigap enrollees change plans without underwriting — joining Nevada, Oklahoma, California, Oregon, Missouri, and others with similar protections.
Full story: Medigap Birthday Rule States 2027 →Medicare Advantage Star Rating Pressure Is Pushing Seniors Toward Medigap
Plans falling below 4 stars lose CMS bonus revenue and are responding by cutting supplemental benefits or raising costs. Major carriers including UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and Aetna have reduced their service areas, sending more beneficiaries back to Original Medicare and Medigap.
Full story: MA Star Rating Cuts Are Pushing Seniors to Medigap →Part D’s Out-of-Pocket Cap Rises to $2,400 for 2027
The Part D coverage gap (“donut hole”) is permanently eliminated. The annual out-of-pocket cap for covered drugs rises from $2,100 in 2026 to $2,400 in 2027 — a statutory increase that changes the math for anyone comparing Medigap-plus-Part-D against Medicare Advantage.
Full story: Medigap and the New $2,400 Part D Cap →CMS Finalizes Star Ratings Overhaul, Weighs Deceptive-Sales Protections
A finalized CMS rule sends billions more to Medicare Advantage insurers and rolls back several health equity provisions. Separately, CMS established a new remedy allowing special enrollment periods for beneficiaries misled by deceptive sales tactics.
Full story: New CMS Rules Affecting Medigap Shoppers →Scam Calls Are Spiking Ahead of Open Enrollment
Regulators report a rise in fake “Medicare verification” calls and phishing texts targeting seniors. Common red flags include unsolicited contact, urgency, and requests for your Medicare number or banking details.
Full story: Medigap Fraud Alerts for Open Enrollment 2027 →Carrier Pullbacks in Medicare Advantage Are Reshaping Medigap Demand
As UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and Aetna narrow their Medicare Advantage footprints to protect margins, more beneficiaries — some with fresh Guaranteed Issue Rights — are shopping for Medigap for the first time.
Full story: Medigap Insurer Market News →Whatever’s changed in the news, see how it affects your own Medigap options today.
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