If your Medicare Supplement renewal notice has a bigger number than you expected, you’re not imagining it — and you’re not alone. Brokers across Ohio are reporting Medigap premium increases of 10% to 15% for 2027, compared to the historical norm of just 3% to 5% a year. Here’s what’s actually driving it and what you can do before your renewal locks in.
What’s Actually Changing
Nationally, Medigap Plan G — the most popular Medicare Supplement plan — saw premium increases ranging from 12% to 26% across major carriers including Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Mutual of Omaha, and UnitedHealthcare in their 2026 state filings. In Ohio specifically, brokers are reporting increases in the 10-15% range on top of an already-elevated cost baseline, a sharp break from the 3-5% annual bumps Medigap holders have gotten used to for years. This isn’t a one-carrier problem — it’s showing up across multiple insurers writing business in the state.
Why This Is Happening
Medigap plans are standardized by law, so a Plan G from one insurer covers the same benefits as a Plan G from any other insurer. Carriers can’t compete by changing what’s covered — only on price, and indirectly through underwriting. When more higher-cost enrollees end up in a plan (through guaranteed-issue enrollments, carrier market exits, or a state’s birthday-rule switching), the claims for that risk pool gets more expensive, and premiums follow. Ohio has also seen meaningful Medicare Advantage plan activity in recent AEP cycles, and states with more MA plan churn tend to see steeper Medigap increases as members move between coverage types.
Why This Matters for You
Because every insurer’s Plan G covers identical benefits, the premium is the only real difference between carriers — which means shopping the same plan letter across companies is one of the lowest-risk comparisons you can make in insurance. If your premium jumped this renewal sharply, switching insurers isn’t automatic in most cases; it typically requires answering medical underwriting questions. Ohio does not have a statewide Medigap birthday rule at this time, so switching outside of guaranteed-issue situations generally requires a full medical underwriting review—which makes checking your health-based eligibility for a lower-cost carrier worth doing sooner rather than later, before any health changes complicate the process.
What You Can Do Before Your Renewal Locks In
Read your renewal notice carefully rather than assuming the increase is standard. Ask what your exact plan letter would cost from two or three other carriers, since the coverage itself won’t change. If you’re healthy enough to qualify, a lower-cost carrier on the identical plan letter can mean real savings with zero change in benefits. And if you carry a separate Part D drug plan alongside your Medigap policy, remember that’s the piece with an actual enrollment deadline — December 7 — so don’t let the Medigap renewal distract from reviewing your drug coverage too.
How Burke Insurance Group Can Help
We can pull current Plan G (or any plan letter) pricing across the Medigap carriers we work with in Ohio, walk you through the medical underwriting questions before you apply anywhere, and review your Part D options at the same time — all at no cost to you. If your renewal notice left you wondering whether you’re overpaying, that’s the kind of question we’re happy to help answer.
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 or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options
