The Best Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans in Louisiana

Medicare Supplement plans – also called Medigap – offer supplemental coverage to your Original Medicare (Part A and B) coverage. Parts A and B can leave you with out-of-pocket costs. For example, Part B only covers 80% of most charges once you meet your deductible. A Medigap plan helps cover the cost leftover by Medicare so you don't have to.

One third (33%) of Original Medicare beneficiaries in Louisiana have a Medigap plan.¹ If you're one of the people enrolled in Original Medicare without Medigap coverage in Louisiana, start with the research below to find a potential plan to reduce your medical costs. 

What Are the Best Louisiana Medicare Supplement Plans?

There are 10 types of Medicare supplement plans available in the state of Louisiana. They're designated by letters, and you can see a breakdown of the benefits of each option in the chart below. 

All Medigap plans in Louisiana cover Part A coinsurance and an extra 365 days of hospital coverage past typical Medicare coverage. They all provide Medicare Part B copay coverage, but K and L plans do not provide 100% coverage. Some plans cover the Part B deductible while others don't, and some have other limitations on what they cover.

In general, the three most popular plans are F, G and N. Plan F is not available to anyone who became eligible for Medicare after January 1, 2020, though. F and G plans are popular because the premiums tend to be lower.

Plan N may also come with less expensive premiums. It offers 100% coverage of the Medicare copays with a $20 copay of its own for some doctor's visits. If you go to the emergency room, the copay might be $50.

How Do I Enroll in a Louisiana Medigap Plan?

If you enroll in Medicare Parts A and B when you turn 65, you have a 6-month Medigap open enrollment period that begins the month of your 65th birthday. Your Medigap enrollment period is important because it's a time when you have unlimited access to available plans.

During your Medigap open enrollment period, insurance companies must sell you any policy available for the same price it would sell someone who is healthy, regardless of whether you have any medical issues.

Attempting to buy a Medicare supplemental insurance plan outside of this open enrollment period might mean you're unable to get coverage or that the coverage will be more expensive. This is because Medigap insurance companies are legally allowed to use underwriting to determine what type of medical risk you might present if you're outside of that open enrollment period.

If you have other insurance such as through an employer after you turn 65, you may be able to apply for a Medigap plan with a Medigap open enrollment period that starts as the month you leave your employer-provided coverage and are enrolled in Medicare Part B.

If you have guaranteed issue rights, you may be able to purchase a Louisiana Medigap plan outside of your open enrollment period without medical underwriting impacting costs or options.

Most of the situations that might qualify you for guaranteed issue rights involve losing Medigap coverage through no fault of your own (such as the insurance company you chose goes bankrupt) or you tried a Medicare Advantage plan upon turning 65 and decided within the year you would actually prefer Original Medicare with a Medigap plan.