Which Medigap Policy Is the Most Popular?

Nationwide, the most popular Medigap policy is Plan F, not because it's the most comprehensive, but because the insurance broker stands to get the highest commission by recommending this policy over one that might be more appropriate for his or her client's situation. In New York State, however, the popularity of Plan F is not in line with the rest of the country. The reason for this is that the premiums in NYS are much higher than in other states, due to the state's policy that every senior resident is eligible for Medigap, no matter what his or her current health or medical history is.

It's also important to be aware that Plan F is going away on January 1, 2020. If you get Plan F now, you'll be able to keep it when 2020 rolls around, but here's the problem: you probably won't want to keep it. In 2020, Plan F will be a so-called "closed group," meaning that the people in your area who all have Plan F through the same insurance company will be part of the same group.

The unfortunate reality is that, as time goes on, the group will get smaller because its members will either pass away or leave the group for a different plan. As a result, insurers will have no choice but to keep raising the rates because there will be fewer premium dollars coming in to support the claims. This is exactly what happened when Plan J was taken off the market in 2010

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