Medigap Premium Went Up? Your Options in Florida for 2027

Short answer: If your Medicare Supplement (Medigap) premium went up, you have four main options: keep your plan and budget for it, ask your current insurer about a lower-cost plan letter, shop the same plan letter with other insurers, or review whether Medicare Advantage fits you better during Open Enrollment (through December 7, 2026). Because every Plan G sold in Florida has the same standardized benefits, switching insurers changes your price, not your coverage. Outside a guaranteed issue right, though, a new insurer can usually ask health questions, so don't cancel your current policy until a new one is approved.

This fall the same kind of post keeps showing up on Medicare forums: “My Medicare Supplemental is increasing by $48 (28%).” “My rate was $156 and is going up about 25%.” We hear it in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach too, usually from someone who picked a supplement years ago so they would never have to think about health insurance again. If a rate-increase letter just landed in your mailbox, this guide explains why it happened, what your real choices are, and how to compare them without putting your coverage at risk.

Why your Medigap premium went up

A Medigap premium can rise for more than one reason, and your letter may not spell them out. According to Medicare.gov, insurers price Medigap policies in one of three ways:

• Community-rated: everyone with the policy pays the same premium regardless of age. Prices can still rise with inflation and claims costs.
• Issue-age-rated: the premium is based on your age when you bought the policy. It doesn't rise because you get older, but it can rise for other reasons.
• Attained-age-rated: the premium is based on your current age, so it goes up as you age, in addition to any other increases. Medicare.gov notes these policies may cost less at first but can eventually become the most expensive.

On top of the pricing method, insurers raise rates when medical costs and claims in a state go up. Think of it like rent: some of the increase is the building getting more expensive to run, and some of it may be built into your lease. Call your insurer and ask two questions: “Which pricing method does my policy use?” and “How much of this increase is age and how much is a rate change?”

Option 1: Ask your current insurer about a lower-cost plan

Many people on Plan G look at Plan N or high-deductible Plan G to lower the monthly bill. Here's what you'd trade, based on Medicare.gov and CMS:

Plan G vs. Plan N vs. high-deductible Plan G

Plan	What you pay out of pocket
Plan G	The yearly Part B deductible ($283 in 2026). After that, Medicare-covered costs are covered.
Plan N	The Part B deductible, plus copays of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for ER visits that don't lead to an inpatient admission. Plan N doesn't cover Part B excess charges.
High-deductible Plan G	Up to $2,950 in 2026, and $3,050 in 2027, in Medicare-covered costs before the policy pays.

Ask your insurer whether it allows a change to another plan letter and whether it requires health questions to do it. Policies differ. Our Plan G vs. Plan N comparison shows who tends to come out ahead with each.

Option 2: Shop the same plan letter with other insurers

Medigap plans are standardized. A Plan G from one company has the same basic benefits as a Plan G from another; what differs is the price and how that price is likely to change over time. That makes comparison shopping like buying the same brand of medicine at different pharmacies.

The catch is medical underwriting. Medicare.gov explains that outside your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period and situations with a guaranteed issue right, you may have to answer medical questions and could pay more or be turned down. Keep these federal rules in mind:

• If you've had your current Medigap policy for more than 6 months and the new policy has the same benefits, the new insurer can't make you wait for coverage of a pre-existing condition.
• You have a 30-day period to decide whether to keep a new Medigap policy. Don't cancel your old policy until you've decided to keep the new one. You'll pay both premiums for that one month.
• Your current insurer can't drop you because of your health. Medicare.gov says an insurer can end your policy only if you stop paying, weren't truthful on the application, or the company goes out of business. Florida law (section 627.6741, Florida Statutes) also bars cancellation or non-renewal of a Medigap policy for reasons other than nonpayment or material misrepresentation.

When you compare quotes, look beyond this year's price. Ask each company about its pricing method and how its rates have changed over the past few years. In Florida, Medigap rate filings are submitted to the Office of Insurance Regulation, and closed filings can be looked up through its Forms and Rates Filing Search.

Option 3: Consider Medicare Advantage, carefully

During Medicare Open Enrollment (October 15 to December 7, 2026) you can drop Original Medicare plus Medigap and join a Medicare Advantage Plan for January 1, 2027. Some plans have a $0 monthly premium, but you still pay your Part B premium. In exchange, you generally use a provider network and pay copays up to the plan's yearly out-of-pocket maximum.

Before you make this move, understand the one-way-door risk. If you later want to return to Medigap, you may have to pass medical underwriting. There is a trial right: if you drop a Medigap policy to join Medicare Advantage for the first time, you have 12 months to go back to your Medigap policy if the same company still sells it. Our Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage guide covers the tradeoffs in detail.

Option 4: Get help paying your Medicare costs

If the increase is a real strain, check whether you qualify for programs that lower your other Medicare costs:

• Medicare Savings Programs, run through Florida Medicaid, can pay your Part B premium and, at lower income levels, other Medicare cost-sharing. Florida applications are handled by the Department of Children and Families (ACCESS Florida).
• Extra Help lowers Part D drug costs. See Medicare Extra Help in 2027: who qualifies and how to apply.

South Florida resources

• SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders), Florida's State Health Insurance Assistance Program, offers unbiased Medicare counseling at no cost through the Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337.
• Florida Office of Insurance Regulation reviews Medigap rate filings. The Florida Department of Financial Services consumer helpline handles insurance complaints.
• For local plan information, see our Florida Medicare guide and Miami-Dade County Medicare page.

Next steps this week

• Find your rate-increase letter and note the new premium and its effective date.
• Call your insurer: ask about the pricing method and whether you can change plan letters.
• Get quotes for the same plan letter from other insurers, and ask whether medical questions apply.
• If you're weighing Medicare Advantage, decide before Open Enrollment ends on December 7, 2026.
• Talk with a licensed agent at (331) 343-2584 or request a Medigap quote comparison. You can also meet our licensed agents, or read our Plan G overview.