Why Medigap rates rise, and your options.

The renewal letter lands, the premium is up again, and the question arrives in our inbox: did I pick a bad plan? Usually not. Medigap increases have four engines, and knowing which ones are running tells you whether to sit tight or shop.

Engine 1: medical inflation, everywhere, always

Medigap pays the deductibles and coinsurance Medicare leaves behind, so when the underlying costs rise (the hospital deductible hit $1,736 in 2026), every carrier's claims rise with them. This engine pushes all boats equally; it is not a reason to switch.

Engine 2: your age, depending on pricing method

Carriers price one of three ways. Attained-age policies (the majority in Florida) charge by your current age, so premiums climb as birthdays accumulate: cheap at 65, steeper each year. Issue-age policies lock to your age at purchase and rise only with inflation-type increases. Community-rated policies charge everyone the same regardless of age. Two identical Plan G quotes can hide completely different twenty-year trajectories; this is the fine print that matters most at purchase time.

Engine 3: the health of the risk pool

A Medigap policy is a pool of policyholders. Pools that stopped accepting newcomers, like legacy Plan F, age and shrink, and premiums follow. It is why clinging to a closed plan out of loyalty often costs more than switching to its open successor.

Engine 4: carrier strategy

Some carriers price low to win business, then correct hard in years three through five. Others price honestly and increase gently. The chart cannot show you this; only a carrier's filed rate-increase history can, and reviewing it is a standard part of how we quote.

So the letter came. What now?

1. Benchmark before you react. Same letter, same ZIP, every carrier we represent. If your increase merely matched the market, sitting tight wins.
2. Consider the letter next door. A G-to-N move keeps catastrophic coverage identical and often cuts premium sharply; the math lives here.
3. Mind the underwriting door. Outside protected windows, switching carriers in Florida usually means health questions. Apply and be approved before leaving what you hold; never resign a policy on hope.
4. Never lapse in anger. Dropping Medigap without a plan forfeits protections you may not be able to repurchase. Increases are annoying; uninsured Augusts are worse.

Rate letters are a prompt, not a verdict. Forward yours to us and we will tell you, in one page, whether yours is an everyone-increase or a shop-around increase. That review is free, like everything else at this desk.