The three most popular plans are D, F and G. most carriers sell only three or four of the supplements (usually A, C and F, or C, D and F). We work with several carriers, including Equitable Life & Casualty, which sells all 10 supplements as well as the two high option plans.

D does not cover the $128 annual deductible for doctor appointments(not a big deal with most consumers) nor any of the excess for doctor appointments. So long as you are using a doctor who takes Medicare assignment, your "excess" should only be 20% of what Medicare allows the doctor to charge - your "cost" might be $10 to $20 - nto all that much. It also provides At Home Recovery benefits and is the least expensive of the more popular plans.

F covers the $128 deductible and the excess. It costs about 40-50% more premium than Plan D and 30-40% more than Plan G, and does not offer At Home Recover benefits.

G does not cover the $128 annual deductible but covers 80% of the excess. It generally costs less than $10 more per month than Plan D. It also provides At Home Recovery benefits. It is my recommendation

Medicare itself does not cover prescriptions nor do any of the "true" original Medigap insurance plans (A through N). See the previous article on Part D of medicare, prescription coverage.

Note: some carriers offer High Option F and High Option J plans. These are similar in benefits to the regular Plan F or Plan J but you have a $1,990 deductible. High Deductible Plan F is significantly less expensive than regular plan D and High Deductible J is about the same cost as regular Plan G.

Our recommendation: one of the first three mentioned above OR High Option F, where available.

Again, if you do not mind the $1990 deductible, High Option F or High Option J are excellent choices.