Licensed in 40+ states · Independent · BBB Accredited A+ Call or text (773) 657-9140 · Mon–Fri 9am–6pm · Sat–Sun 9am–1pm CT

Hablamos español

Wisconsin Medigap works differently. Here is how to build yours.

Wisconsin skips the federal lettered plans. Every company sells the same Basic Plan, and you add only the riders you want. Your 6-month open enrollment is the time to get them all with no health questions, so see your dates first.

When is your Medigap window?

Your 6 monthswill showhere

Enter your birthday. Nothing is saved or sent until you choose to request quotes.

BBBAccredited, A+ rating
★ 5.0Google rating, 80+ reviews
100carriers appointed
$0for advice

Appointed with Mutual of Omaha, Aetna, HealthSpring, UnitedHealthcare and many others. When we quote a Medicare Supplement, we show each company’s past rate increases, not just today’s price.

Medigap or Medicare Advantage in Wisconsin?

The right choice depends on your doctors, where you spend the year, and how you want to pay for care. Here is how the trade-off plays out in Wisconsin.

Medicare Supplement (Medigap)

Works with Original Medicare

  • The Basic Plan is identical at every company, so you compare on price
  • Add riders for Part B excess charges, extra home health care or foreign travel
  • See any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare, anywhere in the country
  • Best set up during your 6-month window, because Wisconsin has no birthday rule

Medicare Advantage vs Medigap, in depth

Medicare Advantage

A private plan that replaces Original Medicare

  • Lower or $0 premium in many Wisconsin counties, often with dental and vision
  • Many plans are built around one regional health system, so check your doctors first
  • Networks, prior approvals and a yearly out-of-pocket limit
  • Change plans each fall, October 15 to December 7

HMO vs PPO, explained

How Wisconsin Medigap plans work

Wisconsin is one of three states that don’t use the federal lettered plans (A through N). Instead, every company sells the same state-standardized Basic Plan, and you add only the extras you want.

Sources: Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, 2026 Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare; Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long Term Care.

  • The Basic PlanThe same core benefits from every company, including state-mandated benefits, so you can compare companies on price alone.
  • Optional ridersAdd only what you want, such as Part B excess charges, additional home health care (up to 365 visits a year) and foreign travel emergency coverage (80 percent after a $250 deductible, for care in the first 60 days of a trip).
  • Lower-premium versionsCost-sharing plans (you pay 50 or 25 percent of costs until a yearly limit) and a high-deductible plan trade a lower premium for more cost when you use care.
  • Riders laterYou can drop a rider any time, but adding one later may mean health questions, so choose riders during your open enrollment.

Your no-health-questions doors in Wisconsin

Wisconsin has no birthday rule, but it adds two protections beyond the federal ones.

Sources: Wisconsin Administrative Code Ins 3.39; Medicare.gov. Compare every state in our Medigap rules by state tracker.

  • Your 6-month windowStarts the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. Any Wisconsin Medigap plan and riders, any company, no health questions.
  • Left an employer plan for AdvantageIf you left employer coverage to join a Medicare Advantage plan and leave that plan within 12 months, you have a guaranteed right to buy Medigap.
  • Tied to Part DWisconsin also ties a guaranteed-issue period to your Part D initial enrollment, from 60 days before through 63 days after your drug coverage begins.
  • Federal rightsYour Advantage plan leaving your county, the 12-month trial right and losing certain employer coverage all still apply. If your plan is leaving.

On Medicare before 65 in Wisconsin

Wisconsin is one of the states that protects people who get Medicare early because of a disability or ESRD.

Source: Wisconsin Administrative Code Ins 3.39(3r); Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance.

  • Your first windowCompanies must sell you the Wisconsin Basic Plan with no health questions for 6 months after you enroll in Part B.
  • RidersRiders and cost-sharing versions are not guaranteed before 65, and few companies offer them to this group.
  • PricePremiums before 65 can be higher, and they do not drop automatically at 65.
  • At 65You get a second 6-month open enrollment at 65, when you can move to an age-65 rate and add riders with no health questions.

Price is today. Rate history is the next ten years.

Every Plan G pays the same benefits, so companies compete on price. But many Medigap policies are priced by your current age, so the premium rises as you get older, on top of any rate increases the company files with Wisconsin regulators. Two companies can quote nearly the same price today and be far apart in five years.

We show past rate increasesWhen we quote, you see how each company has raised rates, not just who is cheapest this month.

Ask Wisconsin’s regulatorsThe Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, 1-800-236-8517, publishes each year’s approved Medigap policies and handles complaints about a company.

Discounts that lastAsk about household discounts and how long they apply. Some shrink after the first years.

Same plan, different ZIP, different priceMilwaukee, Madison, Green Bay and the Fox Valley, Eau Claire, La Crosse and Wausau are priced differently. Quotes are always by ZIP code.

Spending winters in Florida or Arizona?

Plenty of Wisconsin retirees leave the snow for part of the year. How your coverage travels matters as much as its price.

Source: Medicare.gov rules on moving, special enrollment periods and Medigap coverage.

  • Medicare AdvantagePlans tied to a Wisconsin health system usually cover only emergencies and urgent care out of state, and a plan can end your enrollment after 6 months in a row away.
  • MedigapOriginal Medicare with a Wisconsin Medigap plan works with any provider that accepts Medicare in both places. Add the foreign travel rider if you cruise.
  • Part DChoose a drug plan with network or mail-order pharmacies that work in both states. How to choose a 2027 Part D plan.

Help paying Medicare and drug costs in Wisconsin

If your income and savings are limited, Wisconsin’s Medicare Savings Programs can pay your Part B premium and, for some people, your deductibles and coinsurance. You apply through the Department of Health Services at ForwardHealth. Wisconsin also runs SeniorCare, a state prescription drug program for residents 65 and older, which can affect whether you need a Part D plan, so tell us if you are enrolled.

The Wisconsin Medicare year

With no birthday rule, these dates are the ones that matter.

Your 65th

Your 6-month Medigap window starts once you are 65 and on Part B. The best time to buy any Medigap plan.

Oct 15 – Dec 7

Annual Enrollment: change Medicare Advantage or Part D plans for January 1.

Jan 1 – Mar 31

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: one change if you are already in an Advantage plan.

Any time

You can apply for Medigap, but outside your window a company can ask health questions.

Federal windows: Medicare.gov. Turning 65 soon? Use our enrollment checklist.

Go deeper

Guides that go deeper on the questions Wisconsin clients ask most.

Questions Wisconsin clients ask

Why are Medigap plans different in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin uses its own standardized system instead of the federal Plans A through N. Every company sells the same Basic Plan, and you add optional riders, such as Part B excess charges or foreign travel coverage, to build the coverage you want.

Can I add a Medigap rider later in Wisconsin?

You can drop a rider any time, but adding one after your open enrollment usually means answering health questions, and the company can decline. That is why it pays to choose riders in your first 6 months.

Does Wisconsin have a Medigap birthday rule?

No. Your 6-month open enrollment, the federal guaranteed-issue situations and Wisconsin’s two extra protections are the times you can buy without health questions.

Can I get a Medigap plan in Wisconsin if I am under 65?

Yes. If you have Medicare because of a disability or ESRD, companies must sell you the Basic Plan with no health questions for 6 months after you enroll in Part B, and you get a second window at 65.

Does it cost anything to work with you?

No. Insurance carriers pay agents a commission, and your premium is the same whether you enroll through us or directly with the company.

¿Pueden ayudarme en español?

Sí. Podemos ayudarle en español por teléfono o video. Envíe el formulario o mándenos un mensaje de texto al (773) 657-9140.

Know your window. Compare both paths. Then decide.

Send your details and a licensed advisor will compare Medigap and Medicare Advantage options for your Wisconsin ZIP code, including each company’s rate history, at no cost.

Smart Insurance Agents is an independent insurance agency and is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or the Wisconsin Medigap Helpline at 1-800-242-1060 or the Medigap Part D and Prescription Drug Helpline at 1-855-677-2783 to get information on all of your options. Plan availability varies by county.