Minnesota Medigap: Basic, Extended Basic & Riders (2026)

Minnesota is one of only three states that do not use the federal Medigap lettering, so a Medicare Supplement policy here is built, not picked off an A-through-N menu. Instead of choosing a single lettered plan, Minnesotans start with one of two base plans, the Basic Plan or the Extended Basic Plan, and add optional riders to fill in the coverage they want. Minnesota versions of Plans K, L, M, and N are also sold, and a Minnesota high-deductible Plan F remains open to people who had or were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. This guide explains the base plans, the riders that customize them, when you can buy without health questions, and who regulates coverage here.1

How Minnesota Medigap works

Minnesota Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) is private insurance that pays the deductibles and coinsurance Original Medicare leaves to you. Medigap in Minnesota works only alongside Original Medicare, not with a Medicare Advantage plan, and each policy covers one person. A married couple who both want coverage need two policies.

Most of the country uses the federal standardized framework, where Medigap is sold as lettered plans A through N and the benefits inside each letter are fixed by federal rule. Minnesota is one of three federal "waiver states," along with Massachusetts and Wisconsin, that received permission to standardize their own way instead. Under Minnesota statute (Minn. Stat. 62A.31), every Medicare supplement policy must be designated either a basic plan or an extended basic plan. So the lettered plans you read about in national guides work differently here: you build your coverage from a base plan plus riders rather than picking a single letter.1

The gaps Medigap closes are real. After the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), Original Medicare leaves you 20% of the approved amount for most outpatient care, with no annual cap on that share. Part A adds a hospital deductible of $1,736 per benefit period in 2026, and because a new benefit period can start more than once in a year, that deductible can apply more than once. A Minnesota Medigap policy caps that exposure.2

The two base plans: Basic and Extended Basic

Minnesota Medigap is built around two base plans. You start with one and customize from there.1

The Basic Plan is the foundation. It covers the core gaps in Original Medicare, including Part A and Part B coinsurance, and serves as the starting point most enrollees build on with riders.

The Extended Basic Plan is the more complete foundation. It includes more coverage than the Basic Plan out of the box, picking up additional gaps before you add any riders, which is why it carries the higher premium.

Because the rider system lets two people start from the same base plan and end up with different coverage, comparing Minnesota Medigap is less about a single label and more about which base plan, plus which riders, matches your needs and budget.

The riders that customize your coverage

The riders are what make Minnesota distinctive. You add them to a base plan to close specific gaps, and your premium reflects the riders you choose. Common riders include a Part A deductible rider, a Part B deductible rider, a foreign travel emergency rider, a usual-and-customary-fees rider, and a non-Medicare preventive-care rider.1

• Part A deductible rider, which covers the $1,736 hospital deductible per benefit period in 2026.2
• Part B deductible rider, which covers the $283 annual Part B deductible. A rider covering the Part B deductible is closed to newer enrollees under federal rules, the same reason the lettered Plan F closed elsewhere.2
• Foreign travel emergency rider, which helps with emergency care during travel outside the United States.

Adding riders raises your premium but narrows what you pay out of pocket. Leaving them off lowers your premium and keeps more cost-sharing with you. The right mix depends on how much predictable, up-front cost you want to trade for a lower monthly bill.

Minnesota versions of Plans K, L, M, and N

Alongside the base-plus-rider system, Minnesota sells its own versions of several plans that mirror the federal cost-sharing designs.1

The Minnesota versions of Plans K and L split a percentage of certain costs with you, similar to the standardized K and L used in lettered states. The Plans M and N designs share costs in other ways, such as paying part of a deductible or adding small copays. The Minnesota high-deductible Plan F keeps premiums low in exchange for a high annual deductible, but because it pays the Part B deductible once you meet that deductible, it is available only to people who had or were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.

When you can buy Minnesota Medigap without health questions

Minnesota gives you a stronger protection than the federal floor. The two base plans, the Basic Plan and the Extended Basic Plan, are guaranteed available when you enroll in Medicare Part B, regardless of your age or health. That means an insurer cannot use your health to deny you a base plan or charge you more for it.1

You also have the federal Medigap Open Enrollment Period, a one-time, six-month window that begins the first month you are both age 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. During it, insurers must sell you any Medigap policy they offer at their best available rate regardless of your health, with no medical underwriting. Outside that window, an insurer can apply medical underwriting to policies beyond the guaranteed base plans, unless a federal guaranteed-issue right applies because of a qualifying life event such as losing other coverage. Settling on your base plan and riders during that six-month window is still the surest way to lock in every option without health questions.3

What Minnesota Medigap costs and how it is priced

Medigap premiums vary widely. The benefits inside each Minnesota base plan and rider are set, but the price is not: it depends on the insurer, the riders you add, your age, and in many cases other rating factors. Adding riders raises the premium, so a bare Basic Plan costs less than an Extended Basic Plan loaded with riders.1

Insurers can price policies in different ways, which shapes how your premium changes as you age. Some hold the premium steady regardless of age, while others start lower and increase as you get older, so a low first-year quote can climb over time. Ask which method each insurer uses, not just the first-year premium. Note that Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage, so you add a separate Part D plan for that.

Who regulates Minnesota Medigap

Minnesota Medigap is regulated by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, which reviews the plan benefits and premium rates these policies carry and handles consumer questions and complaints. If you have a problem with a specific policy or carrier, the Department of Commerce is the place to start. Its Enforcement Division takes Medicare supplement complaints by phone at 651-539-1600 or through the state's online complaint form.1

Where to get help in Minnesota

Two state offices can help you act. The Minnesota Minnesota Aging Pathways, Minnesota's federally designated State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), gives free, objective counseling on comparing base plans and riders and reaches counselors at 1-800-333-2433, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Minnesota Department of Commerce regulates the carriers and takes complaints about a specific policy.4

Learn More

Find personalized help comparing Medicare Supplement plans in Minnesota at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.