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Why did my Medigap premium go up?

Medigap rates rise for three reasons: your age, an increase for everyone on the plan, or a plan closed to new members. How to tell which one hit you.

Updated September 3, 2026 · 3 min read · by Gerino Alejos

Your Medigap premium, the monthly bill for the policy, went up for one of three reasons. You got a year older, the company raised rates for everyone on that plan, or your plan is closed to new members. Only the third one is a reason to look elsewhere.

An increase by itself is normal. It does not mean anything went wrong.

Cause one: your age

Most Texas policies are attained age rated. The price is tied to how old you are, so it climbs a little every year.

An attained age policy costs the least at 65 and the most at 85. A yearly bump is the design of the policy, not a decision about you.

Cause two: a general rate increase

Companies also raise rates on a whole group of policies at once. They file it with the state to cover rising medical costs and the claims paid across everyone on that plan.

That increase lands on everyone with that plan from that company, not on you alone.

Some companies raise rates a little year after year. Others start low, then raise hard later. That history is worth asking about before you buy, and worth checking now.

Cause three: a closed block

See Plan F and Plan G side by side.

What it is never: your claims

Your premium did not go up because you used the policy or because you got sick. Medigap policies are guaranteed renewable, so the company has to keep covering you as long as you pay. Rates are set for a whole class of people, and no company can single you out.

What to do about it

1. Ask which pricing method your policy uses. Attained age follows your age now. Issue age is locked to the age you were when you bought. Community rated charges everyone the same.
2. Get prices for the same plan letter from other companies. Coverage is standardized by law, so the same letter pays the same way anywhere.
3. Ask each one how much it has raised rates in the last several years, not just what it charges to start.
4. Ask about household discounts, which many companies offer when two people in a home hold policies.
5. If a move makes sense, get the approval in writing before you cancel anything.

See how to compare rates.

The underwriting problem

In Texas, switching companies usually means medical underwriting. The new company can look at your health history and turn you down.

The exception is a guaranteed issue window, a time when no company can refuse you or charge you more for your health. Outside one, you have to qualify.

Premiums start to pinch at the same age when health problems make underwriting harder to pass. So look at your options while you are healthy. Never cancel the policy you have until the new one is approved and in force.

If you cannot switch

• Ask the same company about a different plan letter, such as moving from Plan G to Plan N. Some will do that with lighter underwriting or none.
• Ask about a high deductible version of your letter. The monthly bill is lower because you pay a set amount yourself before the policy pays. See high deductible Plan G.
• Ask about any discount you are not already getting.
• If the premium is more than your budget can carry, a Medicare Advantage plan cannot turn you down. Coming back to a supplement later would mean underwriting.

Start by asking which pricing method your policy uses, then price the same plan letter with a few other companies. To go through your notice together, call our McAllen office at (956) 687 3334, or enter your ZIP code in the plan pricing box on this page.

Gerino Alejos

Licensed insurance agent · License 3128710 · NPN 18243381

Owner of McAllen Insurance Group, an independent agency on North 10th Street in McAllen. Works with clients across Hidalgo, Cameron and Starr counties on Medicare, Marketplace health, life and auto coverage. Se habla español.