Your Medigap premium went up. Here's what to do in New York.
The renewal letter says your Medicare Supplement premium is rising again, and you are wondering whether this is the year to drop it. Usually it isn't. In New York, an identical plan from a different carrier is often dramatically cheaper, and the state lets you move to it any month you like. Here is how the pricing works and the order in which to look at your options.
In New York every Medigap policy is community-rated, so an increase is a rate filing for the whole pool, not a judgment on you. Because the plans are standardized and New York lets you switch carriers any month of the year without health questions, the fix is usually to move the same plan letter to a cheaper carrier. In the Albany rate region the July 2026 DFS comparison shows Plan G priced from about $305 to more than $650 a month for identical benefits.
Why the premium rose
Most states let Medigap carriers price by age, so premiums climb every year you get older. New York does not. Under state law every Medicare Supplement policy is community-rated: a 66-year-old and an 86-year-old on the same plan with the same carrier pay the same amount. The trade-off is that when the carrier's costs for the whole pool rise, everyone's premium rises together, through a rate filing the Department of Financial Services reviews.
So an increase tells you nothing about your health or your claims. It tells you that carrier's pool got more expensive. Other carriers' pools moved differently, which is why the gap between companies for the same plan is so wide.
How wide the gap is
DFS publishes every carrier's Medigap premium by region and updates the table during the year as rate changes take effect. The Albany region covers ZIP codes beginning 120 to 123 and 128 to 129, which is all of Saratoga, Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties. From the table in effect July 1, 2026:
| Plan | Lowest monthly premium listed, Albany region | Highest |
|---|---|---|
| Plan G | about $305 | more than $650 |
| Plan N | about $269 | more than $480 |
| High-deductible Plan G | about $60 | about $90 |
Those are identical benefits. The federal government standardizes what each plan letter must cover, and New York adds nothing carrier-specific. Someone paying the highest Plan G premium in the Capital Region is spending more than $4,000 a year over the lowest for exactly the same coverage. And the table moves: between the April and July 2026 editions, one carrier's Albany-region Plan G went from $441 to $601 a month, a 36% jump in one filing, while several others didn't change at all. Rates change with each filing, so check the DFS look-up tool or ask me for the current figures before acting.
Your options, in order
1. Move the same plan to a cheaper carrier
This is the first and usually the last step. New York requires every Medigap insurer to accept applications year-round with no health questions, so you can switch in February or September, not just during the fall enrollment period. Apply for the new policy, get the effective date in writing, and only then cancel the old one. Because you're moving between Medigap policies with no gap, there is no pre-existing condition waiting period. The switching Medigap plans guide walks through the paperwork.
2. Change plan letters
- Plan F or C to Plan G. Plan G is Plan F without the Part B deductible, $283 in 2026. If G is more than $24 a month cheaper, you come out ahead. Plan F is closed to anyone who became eligible for Medicare in 2020 or later, so its pool is aging and its rates tend to rise faster than G's.
- Plan G to Plan N. Plan N adds a copay of up to $20 for office visits and up to $50 for emergency visits that don't lead to admission, and doesn't cover Part B excess charges. New York caps excess charges at 5% above the Medicare rate, which makes N safer here than in most states. The Plan G vs Plan N guide works the numbers.
- High-deductible Plan G. Same coverage as Plan G once you've met a $2,950 deductible (2026) for the year. At roughly $60 to $90 a month it suits people who can absorb a bad year and want the ceiling rather than first-dollar coverage.
3. Check whether the state will pay part of the bill
The Medicare Savings Program pays the Part B premium, $202.90 a month in 2026, for people under its income limits, and New York has no asset test. That doesn't reduce your Medigap premium, but it frees up the same money. EPIC does the same on the prescription side for anyone 65 and over with income up to $75,000 single or $100,000 married.
4. Consider Medicare Advantage, carefully
Dropping Medigap for a zero-premium Advantage plan removes the monthly bill and replaces it with copays, a network and prior authorization. For some people, especially those who rarely use care and whose doctors are all in one system, it's a sensible trade. For others it's the mistake they call me about two years later. You can only make the move during an enrollment period, and New York's year-round Medigap rule means you can always come back. Compare total yearly cost, not premium.
Cancel first, apply second
Cancel the old policy only after the new one's effective date is confirmed. A gap of even a month puts you back on Original Medicare's 20% with no ceiling, and a gap longer than 63 days can bring back the pre-existing condition waiting period on the new policy.
What I do
Send me your current declaration or renewal letter. I'll pull the DFS rates for your plan letter in the Albany region, tell you which carriers I'm appointed with and which I'm not, and show the yearly saving for staying on your letter with a cheaper carrier versus changing letters. There's no fee for any of it; the carrier pays the commission and your premium is the same whether you apply through me or directly. Request a rate check.
- Comparison of 2026 community-rated Medicare Supplement monthly premiums, in effect July 1, 2026 (NY DFS)
- Comparison of 2026 community-rated Medicare Supplement monthly premiums, in effect April 1, 2026 (NY DFS)
- Medicare Supplement rate look-up application (NY DFS)
- Insurers offering Medigap insurance in New York State (NY DFS)
- Medicare costs 2026 — Part B deductible (medicare.gov)
I do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information I provide is limited to the plans I do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program for information on all of your options. Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government, the Social Security Administration or the federal Medicare program.
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they call.
Why did my Medigap premium go up when I barely used it?
Because New York requires community rating. Every person on a given plan with a given carrier pays the same premium regardless of age, health or claims. When the carrier's costs for that whole pool rise, it files a rate increase with the Department of Financial Services and everyone's premium moves together. Your own claims have no effect on your rate, and neither does your birthday.
Can I switch to a cheaper carrier for the same plan?
Yes, at any time of year. New York requires Medigap insurers to accept applicants year-round without medical underwriting. Plan G is Plan G by federal standardization, so the only differences between carriers are premium, customer service and any extras like a gym membership. Apply for the new policy first, confirm the start date, then cancel the old one.
Is there a waiting period if I switch?
New York allows insurers to impose a pre-existing condition waiting period of up to six months, but it must be reduced by any prior creditable coverage you had without a gap of more than 63 days. If you are moving from one Medigap policy to another with no gap, the waiting period is zero.
I'm on Plan F. Should I move to Plan G?
Usually, if the premium difference is more than about $24 a month. The only benefit Plan F has that Plan G doesn't is payment of the Part B deductible, $283 in 2026. Plan F has been closed to people who became eligible for Medicare after 2019, so its pool is aging and its rates tend to rise faster. If you were eligible before 2020, you keep the right to buy F again later in New York, so the move isn't one-way.
Should I just switch to Medicare Advantage to stop paying premiums?
Sometimes it's the right answer, but it is a different product, not a cheaper version of the same one: networks, prior authorization and copays instead of a monthly premium. You can only make that move during an enrollment period, and in New York you can always come back to Medigap later. Compare the total yearly cost for your doctors and prescriptions before deciding, not the premium alone.
Let's talk it through
A phone call or a message is all it takes. The first conversation is just a conversation.