Bottom Line

If you are looking for the best Medicare Supplement Plan G provider, our top recommendations are Mutual of Omaha and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Blue Cross Blue Shield has some of the best member benefits and discounts, whereas Mutual of Omaha has superior financial strength and widely-available high-deductible Plan G. Both companies have competitive rates for standard Plan G. But if you want the lowest rates, go with UnitedHealthcare. 

Before choosing a Plan G provider, it’s a good idea to compare several companies and prices for the plan you want, as costs and benefits can vary by state. For instance, Blue Cross Blue Shield offers a special Plan G Plus in Illinois that has vision and dental benefits, and it’s not available in other states.

How to Shop for and Compare Medicare Supplement Plan G 

Step 1: Determine If You Are Eligible to Enroll in Medicare

Medicare enrollment eligibility begins three months before you turn 65 and extends for the three months after unless you're eligible earlier due to disability. Otherwise, you can enroll during Open Enrollment, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 each year. After that, there's no ability to enroll, only the option to adjust coverage you already are enrolled in. Changes in coverage begin in January. Every provider we look at has an eligibility check when providing you estimates, which will tell you if you're eligible to enroll or not.

Step 2: Decide If You Want to Enroll in Medicare Parts A and B, or a Medicare Advantage Plan

You must be enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B before you are eligible to enroll in any Medicare Supplement Plan. If you choose to enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you cannot enroll in a Supplement Plan. 

Step 3: Find Out What Medicare Supplement Plan G Plans Are Available in Your Area

Not every provider offers every Supplement plan, and not every provider has plans available in every location. Most Medicare Supplemental insurance providers will ask for your ZIP code when you're preparing your personalized estimate, which will let you know immediately if the provider covers your area.

Step 4: Determine If You Would Like a Regular or a High-Deductible Plan G

As you might have guessed, a high-deductible Plan G comes with a higher out-of-pocket payment than regular Plan G, but with lower monthly premiums. It’s important to do your homework; the trade-off is that with a high-deductible Plan G, you have to pay a higher amount ($2,800 in 2024) before receiving the benefits. In comparison, you only need to meet your Plan B deductible ($240 in 2024) if you have regular Plan G.

You’ll need to determine the best choice for your budget, and if paying a higher monthly premium is worth it to you, to not have to pay out-of-pocket costs throughout the year.

Step 5: Check Plan Pricing and Coverage

Cost is often a determining factor in many purchases. Medicare Supplement insurance providers may have different costs for the same care, while some may go above and beyond the basic level of care required by law.

Step 6: Get An Expert Opinion

An insurance broker or consultant can be a valuable asset. They have more access and knowledge than the average person might, and they sometimes can negotiate better prices for Medigap plans, or at the very least, provide additional guidance throughout the insurance-buying process. Plus, using a broker or consultant does not increase your costs, since they receive commissions from the insurance companies. Furthermore, an insurance broker has stringent rules set by the government to ensure the process is handled easily and fairly for you, the customer.

Step 7: Sign Up for Coverage

Once you have decided which Supplement Plan G is right for you, you can register directly with the insurance provider, usually online or by telephone. Remember: during Medicare Open Enrollment, anyone eligible may enroll in Medicare and pick any supplemental insurance they may need.

How We Chose the Best Medicare Plan G Providers

To identify which health insurance companies to review, we analyzed business and market insight databases including Statistia, Plunkett, and Gale. We also considered user-generated data from Google to determine public interest and trends in Medicare plans.

We collected data from third-party rating agencies like the credit rating agency AM Best and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), an independent organization that rates health insurance plans on quality and customer satisfaction. We also gathered data from government websites and databases provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) such as CMS.gov and HealthCare.gov, and directly from companies via websites, media contacts, and existing partnerships. The data collection process spanned Sept. 15 to Sept. 29, 2023.

We then developed a quantitative model that scores each Medicare Plan G provider based on four major categories and nine criteria that are crucial in evaluating the provider’s offerings and benefits. We weighted the four categories as follows for this article:

• Cost: 40%
• Plan features: 30%
• Plan quality and customer satisfaction: 20%
• Company financial strength: 10%
  

Read our full methodology for reviewing Medicare insurance providers.