Compare UnitedHealthcare Medicare Supplement Plans 2027

In most states, UnitedHealthcare offers a number of the 10 standardized plan letters. Which ones you can get varies by state, and Plans C and F are limited to people who qualified for Medicare before January 1, 2020.

Plan letter determines Medigap benefits, which are standardized. Prices differ by insurer, age, ZIP code and tobacco use.

Original Medicare leaves gaps, and a Medicare Supplement plan is designed to fill them. It can pay these costs:

What each plan letter covers is set precisely by federal law, so a given letter carries identical benefits from every insurer in your state.

*Only people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, can buy Plans C and F. **Plans K and L come with a yearly out-of-pocket limit that Medicare updates each year; once you hit it, the plan covers 100% of covered services for the remainder of the year. ***Plan N covers all Part B coinsurance apart from copays of up to $20 for certain office visits and up to $50 for ER visits that do not result in an inpatient admission. Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin use their own way of standardizing plans.

If your UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plan is ending for 2027, you generally have a guaranteed issue right to buy certain Medigap plans, including from UnitedHealthcare, without health questions. See UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans.

UnitedHealthcare Plan G covers every gap in Original Medicare except the Part B deductible, including Part B excess charges. UnitedHealthcare Plan N usually costs less each month, but you pay copays of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for ER visits that do not lead to admission, and it does not cover excess charges. See UnitedHealthcare Plan G and UnitedHealthcare Plan N.

Most people new to Medicare choose one of these three. Plan G covers every gap except the Part B deductible. Plan N trades a lower premium for copays of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for ER visits that do not lead to admission, and it does not cover Part B excess charges. High-Deductible Plan G has a $3,050 deductible for 2027, up from $2,950, then covers like Plan G. See Plan G vs Plan N.

Which method applies depends on the insurer and the state. Before buying, find out how a policy is priced, not only what it costs now.

In certain situations, federal law also grants guaranteed issue rights, generally within 63 days of other coverage ending:

In 2027, a standalone Part D plan can have a deductible of no more than $700 and an out-of-pocket cap of $2,400. Buy it with Medigap to avoid a late enrollment penalty that lasts for life.

Rather than paying all of most costs, Plans K and L pay a portion: Plan K covers 50% and Plan L covers 75% of most cost sharing, leaving the remainder to you. In return for their lower premiums, both carry an annual out-of-pocket limit set by Medicare each year. After you hit that limit, the plan covers 100% of covered services for the remainder of the year.

People who want catastrophic protection with a lower premium and can manage some costs along the way may find these plans a good fit. Find out whether UnitedHealthcare sells Plan K or L in your state.

Only Plans C and F cover the Part B deductible. Since January 1, 2020, they have not been sold to people newly eligible for Medicare. If you became eligible for Medicare before that date, even without enrolling, you may still be able to purchase Plan C or F, including a High-Deductible Plan F that has the same $3,050 deductible for 2027.

If you are eligible for both, the decision usually comes down to basic arithmetic: weigh the annual premium gap between Plan F and Plan G against the Part B deductible. When Plan F costs more than the deductible would save, Plan G offers better value.

If disability or end-stage renal disease gives you Medicare before 65, federal law does not make insurers sell you a Medigap policy, though many states require it. Prices for those under 65 can run much higher, and plan options may be limited. At 65, you get a fresh six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, during which you can buy any plan sold in your state at the same prices others your age pay.

Within the U.S., a Medigap plan goes wherever you go, since it works with any provider that accepts Medicare. Abroad, Original Medicare generally pays nothing, but Plans C, D, F, G, M and N pay 80% of emergency care outside the U.S. after a $250 annual deductible, up to a $50,000 lifetime limit. Travelers who spend long stretches overseas may want separate travel medical coverage as well.

Once you buy Medigap, its benefits never change, but its premiums can. Insurers submit rate increases to state regulators, frequently once a year. Since the same plan letter has the same benefits everywhere, moving to a cheaper insurer can cut costs while your coverage stays the same.

The obstacle is underwriting. Unless you are in your Medigap Open Enrollment Period or have a guaranteed issue right, most states allow a new insurer to ask about your health and turn you down. Healthy people can often save by shopping their policy every few years; those with serious conditions should think hard before giving up the policy they have. Do not cancel your existing policy until the replacement has been approved and is in force.

Filing a Medigap claim yourself is rarely necessary. Your provider bills Medicare, Medicare covers its portion, and the claim is passed along to your Medigap carrier on its own so it can pay its portion. The insurer sends an explanation of benefits and Medicare sends a Medicare Summary Notice, each showing what was paid. With Plan G, the one bill you will typically get is for the Part B deductible at the start of the year.

Medigap plans sold now exclude prescription coverage, so almost anyone with a UnitedHealthcare Medigap plan should add a Part D plan as well. The drug plan can come from any company; it need not be the same one as your Medigap carrier. Pick it in Medicare Plan Finder based on your medications and pharmacy, and recheck it each fall, since drug plans shift much more from one year to the next than Medigap policies.

Putting off drug coverage with no other creditable coverage brings a late enrollment penalty of 1% of the national base beneficiary premium, $41.33 for 2027, for each month without coverage, lasting as long as you are enrolled in Part D.

When you turn 65 in 2027, you get a seven-month Initial Enrollment Period: the three months before your birthday month, the birthday month itself and the three months that follow. If you sign up in the first three months, coverage begins on the first day of your birthday month.

When your income and savings are limited, two programs can greatly lower your Medicare costs:

If you qualify for both Medicare and full Medicaid, you may also be able to join a Dual Special Needs Plan. See help for low-income Part D beneficiaries.

When a doctor “accepts assignment,” they agree to accept Medicare’s approved amount as payment in full. Doctors who don’t accept assignment may charge as much as 15% more, known as a Part B excess charge. Excess charges are covered by Plans F and G; Plan N and most other plans do not cover them.

Because most doctors accept assignment and some states restrict or ban excess charges, the risk is small for many people. Before deciding whether to pay for excess charge coverage, ask your doctors if they accept assignment.

You get a six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period beginning in the first month you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. It occurs only once and can’t be restarted. During this period, insurers have to sell you any Medigap plan they offer in your state at the same price healthy people pay.

If you work past 65, keep employer coverage and postpone Part B, your Medigap Open Enrollment Period does not begin until you sign up for Part B. Signing up for Part B early when you do not need it starts the clock and can waste this protection.

You do not need to compare plans by yourself, and help should not cost you anything. Here are the free options:

Gather your Medicare card, a list of your drugs and doses, your doctors and your preferred pharmacies before you call. That way a long conversation becomes a quick one.