Minnesota is one of just three states that do not use the federal Medigap lettering, so a Medicare Supplement 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 were eligible for Medicare before 2020. This guide explains the base plans, the riders that customize them, and who regulates Medigap in Minnesota.
How Medigap works in Minnesota
A Medigap policy is private insurance that pays the deductibles and coinsurance Original Medicare leaves to you. Medigap in Minnesota (Medicare Supplement Insurance) 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 "waiver states," along with Massachusetts and Wisconsin, that received federal permission to standardize their own way instead. So the lettered plans you read about in national Medigap guides work differently here. The practical upshot is that you build your coverage from a base plan plus riders rather than picking a single letter.
The gaps Medigap closes are real. After the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), Original Medicare pays 80% of the approved amount for most outpatient care and leaves you the other 20%, with no annual cap. Part A adds a hospital deductible of $1,736 per benefit period in 2026, and that deductible can apply more than once in a year. A Minnesota Medigap plan caps that exposure.
The two base plans: Basic and Extended Basic
Minnesota Medigap is built around two base plans. You start with one and customize from there.
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 makes it the higher-premium starting point.
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 match 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:
- Part A deductible rider, which covers the $1,736 hospital deductible per benefit period in 2026.
- Part B deductible rider, which covers the $283 annual Part B deductible. Note that a plan covering the Part B deductible is closed to newer enrollees under federal rules, the same reason the lettered Plan F closed elsewhere.
- 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.
MN versions of K, L, M, N and high-deductible F
Alongside the base-plus-rider system, Minnesota sells its own versions of several plans that mirror the federal cost-sharing designs.
| Option | What it is | Open to newer enrollees |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Plan | Foundational base plan, customizable with riders | Yes |
| Extended Basic Plan | More complete base plan, customizable with riders | Yes |
| MN Plans K and L | Cost-sharing designs (you share a set percentage) | Yes |
| MN Plans M and N | Partial-deductible and copay designs | Yes |
| MN high-deductible Plan F | Low premium after a high annual deductible | Pre-2020 eligible only |
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 it, it is available only to people who had or were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.
When you can buy or switch in Minnesota
The single best time to buy is your 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 require medical underwriting and charge more, or decline to sell you a policy, based on your health, unless a federal guaranteed-issue right applies because of a qualifying life event such as losing other coverage. That is why it is worth settling on your base plan and riders during your six-month open enrollment, when every option is available without health questions.
What Medigap costs and how it is priced in Minnesota
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; a bare Basic Plan costs less than an Extended Basic Plan loaded with riders.
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 Medigap in Minnesota
Minnesota Medigap is regulated by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, which oversees the insurers that sell these policies 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, and the state's free Medicare counseling can help you compare base plans and riders.
Frequently asked questions
Not in the federal form. Minnesota is one of three non-standardized "waiver states," along with Massachusetts and Wisconsin, that do not use the federal Plan A through Plan N letters the same way. Instead, Minnesota builds Medigap around two base plans, the Basic Plan and the Extended Basic Plan, plus optional riders, and it also sells Minnesota versions of Plans K, L, M, and N.
Both are foundational Minnesota Medigap plans you customize with riders. The Extended Basic Plan includes more coverage out of the box than the Basic Plan, so it picks up additional gaps before you add any riders and carries a higher premium. The Basic Plan is the lower-premium starting point.
Riders are optional add-ons that close specific gaps on top of a base plan. Common riders include a Part A deductible rider, a Part B deductible rider, and a foreign travel emergency rider. Each rider you add raises your premium but lowers what you pay out of pocket, which is how Minnesotans customize their coverage.
Only if you had or were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Because that plan pays the Part B deductible once you meet the high annual deductible, federal rules close it to anyone who first became eligible on or after that date. Newer enrollees build comparable coverage from a base plan plus riders instead.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce regulates Medigap in Minnesota. It oversees the insurers that sell these policies and handles consumer questions and complaints, so it is the place to start if you have a problem with a specific policy or carrier.
Learn More
- Medicare plans and coverage in Minnesota
- Medigap (Medicare Supplement): how the lettered plans work
- What is Medicare? Parts A, B, C, and D explained
- Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage
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.