Lowest-priced Medigap Plan G in Merced County, California

Why these two

Plan G pays everything Original Medicare leaves you owing for covered care except the Part B deductible, with any doctor or hospital in the country that takes Medicare. Every company's Plan G covers exactly the same things, so the price is the difference. The lowest at 65 in California is $190.83 a month, from State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, out of 16 companies selling it.

High-deductible Plan G is the same coverage once you've paid $3,050 in 2027 yourself, so it costs much less each month: the lowest at 65 is $46.05, from Bankers Life (Underwritten by Washington National Insurance Company).

Taking the lowest price for each, the high-deductible plan costs $1,737 less a year. Under either you pay the Part B deductible; under the high-deductible plan you also pay what comes after it, up to the plan's deductible. So it comes out ahead in a year your costs past the Part B deductible stay under about $1,737, and behind in a year they go past it, as one hospital stay's deductible usually does.

These are the prices Medicare publishes for ZIP code 90012. A company can charge differently elsewhere in the state, so check the price for your own ZIP code before you apply.

Before you choose

• Apply in your open enrollment period if you can. For six months from the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B, a company can't turn you down or charge you more because of your health. After that, in most states, it can.
• Some of the lowest prices need good health. A price marked "Preferred" or similar is a company's rate for applicants who pass its health questions; others pay its standard rate.
• The cheapest at 65 isn't always the cheapest later. Most companies raise prices as you age, and some raise them faster than others.
• Add a Part D plan. Medigap doesn't cover prescriptions; you'll want a separate drug plan.