Medicare Plans
Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans in Chicago, IL
Original Medicare covers most of your hospital and doctor bills, not all of them. A Medicare Supplement plan, known as Medigap, fills in the deductibles, coinsurance and copays Medicare leaves on the table, so your annual cost stops being a guessing game.
Medigap plans are standardized by letter. A Plan G from one carrier pays the same benefits as a Plan G from another. What actually differs between companies is price, service and how fast your rate climbs over the years.
- Keep any doctor who accepts Medicare
- One flat premium, almost no billing surprises
- No referrals, no provider network to check
- Coverage travels anywhere in the U.S.
Compare Medicare Supplement plans with a local agent
Ask us to line up Plan G, Plan N and high-deductible Plan G against your budget and how often you see the doctor, priced with the carriers we sell in Illinois.
Chicago Senior Insurance
A licensed local team, not a call center
Independent Medicare agency licensed in Illinois, based in Chicago, IL. Weekdays 8:30am to 5:30pm Central.
How we work, licensing and carriers →- Independent agency licensed in Illinois
- AHIP Medicare certified every plan year
- We check Northwestern, Rush, UChicago and Advocate networks first
- Zero cost for the review, now or later
- Office, phone and at-home appointments across Cook County
Written and checked by the licensed Medicare team at Chicago Senior Insurance, an independent medicare agency licensed in illinois. Last checked: July 2026.
How it works
Medicare pays first in Chicago, your Medigap plan covers the gap
Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) stays your primary coverage. When you see a doctor at Northwestern Memorial, Rush University Medical Center, UChicago Medicine or any clinic in Cook County that takes Medicare, the claim goes to Medicare first. Whatever Medicare doesn't cover gets forwarded straight to your Medigap carrier, and most members never see a bill past the annual Part B deductible.
Because there's no network, you don't have to check whether a specialist is "in plan." If they take Medicare, you're covered, whether you're in the Loop, visiting family in Rogers Park, or out of state. Medigap skips drug coverage entirely, so most people pair it with a standalone Part D drug plan.
Compare
Plan G vs. Plan N vs. High-Deductible Plan G
| Plan | Monthly premium | What you pay | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan G | Highest of the three | Just the annual Part B deductible | Anyone who wants the fewest bills and a predictable year |
| Plan N | Moderate | Part B deductible, small office and ER copays, possible excess charges | Healthy members with occasional doctor visits who want a lower premium |
| High-Deductible Plan G | Lowest | Full Plan G benefits once you clear a high annual deductible | Budget-conscious members willing to carry more risk in a bad year |
Rates climb every year, the plan itself doesn't
Medigap benefits are locked in by law, so a rate hike is the only thing to keep an eye on. We re-shop your Plan G or Plan N every year so you're not paying extra just for staying with the same carrier.
Medigap skips prescriptions entirely
You'll need a separate Part D plan. Skip it when you're first eligible and you can trigger a penalty that follows you for life.
Timing
Your open enrollment window matters more than anything else
For six months starting the month your Part B begins, you can buy any Medigap plan sold in Illinois with no health questions asked. That window is the only time a diagnosis can't raise your price or get your application declined.
Once that window closes, Illinois carriers can medically underwrite your application. Most applicants still get approved, but recent heart procedures, oxygen use or insulin-dependent diabetes can narrow your options. If you're turning 65, start this conversation about three months ahead of time.
- Six-month guaranteed-issue window starts with Part B
- No network, no referrals, no annual plan shopping
- Guaranteed renewable as long as you pay the premium
- Guaranteed-issue rights kick in if a plan leaves your area
Is it right for you?
Who tends to choose Medigap around Chicago
You see several specialists
Cardiology, oncology or orthopedic visits pile up fast under copay-based plans. Medigap keeps those costs flat all year.You want a predictable budget
A higher fixed premium beats an unknown out-of-pocket total for a lot of retirees living on a set income.You travel or split time elsewhere
Coverage follows you anywhere in the U.S. that accepts Medicare, no out-of-area network to worry about.
If a lower monthly premium and built-in dental or fitness perks matter more to you, weigh this against Medicare Advantage in Chicago before you decide.
Underwriting
Applying outside a protected period
Inside your six-month Medigap open enrollment window, or when a guaranteed-issue right applies, health questions don't come up at all. Outside those windows, Illinois carriers can underwrite: they'll ask about diagnoses, procedures, medications and pending tests, and they can decline your application or charge more for it.
Illinois has no birthday rule for switching Medigap plans, so once your initial enrollment period passes, underwriting applies unless you qualify for one of the guaranteed-issue situations: your Advantage plan leaves the service area, an employer group plan ends, a carrier misled you, or you're inside the 12-month trial right after first joining an Advantage plan at 65. Those windows are narrow, which is why we go through your health history before we start an application, not after it gets declined.
If underwriting looks like a real risk for you, we say so up front and look at Medicare Advantage instead of letting you rack up a decline on record.
Rates
Rate increases, travel and the yearly re-shop
How Medigap rates change
Benefits are fixed by law, so price is the only moving part. Illinois carriers typically price by attained age, meaning your premium rises as you get older, and again whenever the carrier files a general rate increase. Two companies selling the same Plan G can end up far apart after five years.
We check your premium against the other carriers we represent every year. Switching usually means passing underwriting, so it's a move to make while you're healthy, not after a diagnosis lands.
Travel and access
With Original Medicare behind it, Medigap works with any provider nationwide who accepts Medicare. There's no out-of-area rule, no referral, and no network to check before seeing a specialist while visiting family out of state.
Some Medigap plans include limited foreign travel emergency coverage. It's capped and carries its own deductible, useful, but not a replacement for travel medical insurance on a longer trip abroad.
Common questions
What Chicago clients ask before applying
When should I apply?
Do I still need a Part D plan?
Can my Medigap plan be cancelled?
Is Plan F still available?
Does the company I pick change my benefits?
Keep comparing
Nothing to sign
Not sure if Plan G or Plan N fits your year?
We'll price both with the carriers licensed in Illinois and show you the real dollar difference, free, no obligation.