By Marc Gilman
Call (800) 927-9326 | Email marc@gilmanagency.com
For 2027, Coos County residents have a choice again. The state announced that a Medicare Advantage carrier is returning to Coos County, and you can choose a Medicare Advantage plan starting November 1. That puts a decision back on the table that many North Country residents haven’t had to make: Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement (Medigap).
Here’s how the two work, what to weigh, and why timing matters more than usual this year.
Key Takeaways
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Two different structures. Medicare Advantage replaces Original Medicare with a private plan that uses a network. A Medigap policy works alongside Original Medicare and lets you see any provider in the country that accepts Medicare.
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Coos County has Medicare Advantage again for 2027. One carrier is returning to the county. Plans can be chosen starting November 1, and Annual Enrollment ends December 7.
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Your hospital matters most. In a rural county, whether your local hospital and specialists are in a plan’s network can decide the question for you.
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Medigap is sold statewide. Plans are standardized by letter, so a Plan G covers the same benefits from every insurer. Premiums vary by insurer and age.
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Timing matters. If your current plan is ending, you may have a short window to buy Medigap without health questions. Outside that window, insurers can usually ask about your health.
Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement: The Real Question
These aren’t two versions of the same product. They’re two different ways of getting your Medicare benefits.
Medicare Advantage (Part C) is offered by a private insurance company approved by Medicare. It replaces Original Medicare for your hospital and medical care, and most plans include drug coverage. You generally use the plan’s network of doctors and hospitals, and you pay copays or coinsurance as you use care.
Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) keeps Original Medicare as your coverage. A Medigap policy, sold by a private insurer, pays some or all of the deductibles and coinsurance Original Medicare leaves you to pay. You add a separate Part D plan for drugs.
Neither is better for everyone. The right choice depends on your doctors, your health, how much you travel, and how you prefer to budget.
Source: Medicare.gov. Details vary by plan; check plan documents before you enroll.
Top Criteria for Comparing the Two
1. Your doctors and your hospital. This is the first question in the North Country. With Medicare Advantage, check by name that your primary care doctor, specialists and hospital are in the plan’s network. Think about the hospitals you actually use, such as Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin, Weeks Medical Center in Lancaster or Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook, and any hospital you travel to for specialty care, such as Littleton Regional Healthcare or Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon. With Original Medicare and Medigap, any of them that accept Medicare work.
2. How predictable you want your costs to be. Medicare Advantage costs depend on how much care you use, up to the plan’s yearly limit. Medigap has a higher monthly premium but leaves little to pay when you need care, so a heavy-use year costs about the same as a light one.
3. Your prescriptions. Medicare Advantage usually includes drug coverage. With Medigap you add a separate Part D plan. Either way, check that each of your drugs is covered and which pharmacy to use.
4. Travel and time away. If you spend winters elsewhere or see specialists out of state, a network can matter. Original Medicare with Medigap works the same anywhere in the country with providers that accept Medicare.
5. Your ability to switch later. You can change Medicare Advantage plans each Annual Enrollment. Moving into Medigap later is different. Outside your guaranteed-issue windows, insurers can usually ask about your health and could charge more or decline you. That makes this year’s timing important (see below).
6. Stability. The North Country has seen Medicare Advantage carriers leave before, and a plan can leave a county at the end of any year. A Medigap policy is guaranteed renewable: the insurer can’t cancel it as long as you pay your premium.
What’s Available in Coos County for 2027?
Medicare Advantage is back. The state’s first list of 2027 plans showed no Medicare Advantage plans in Coos County. On October 16, Governor Ayotte announced that, after working with CMS, coverage would be made available in Coos and Carroll counties, and on October 22 she announced a carrier returning to both counties. Medicare.gov now lists its plans. You can choose a Medicare Advantage plan starting November 1, 2026, and Annual Enrollment ends December 7.
Medicare Supplement is sold statewide. New Hampshire’s 2026 Guide to Medicare Supplement Insurance lists 22 insurers. Medigap plans are standardized by letter, so a Plan G or Plan N covers the same benefits no matter which insurer sells it. Premiums vary by insurer and age, and the New Hampshire Insurance Department publishes rates so you can compare.
Why Timing Matters This Year
Buying a Medigap policy is easiest during a guaranteed-issue window. During these windows, an insurer can’t turn you down, charge you more because of your health, or make you wait for coverage of a pre-existing condition. Under federal rules, they include:
What this means for Coos County residents:
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If your plan is ending this year, you may be able to buy Medigap now without health questions. That right has a deadline, so compare both paths before it closes.
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If you choose Medicare Advantage for 2027, you can still switch back to Original Medicare later, but Medigap may require health questions unless one of the windows above applies.
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Don’t cancel anything until you know when your new coverage starts. Guaranteed-issue rights depend on why your coverage is ending, so confirm yours before you make a change.
Why Work With a Local Medicare Agent Who Knows the North Country
A national call center does not know that your nearest hospital is an hour away, or which specialists you drive to in Littleton or Lebanon. We help Medicare beneficiaries across New Hampshire, including Berlin, Gorham, Lancaster, Colebrook, Whitefield, Groveton and the rest of Coos County,, so you don’t have to travel to see us. We’ll check your doctors, hospital and prescriptions, and walk through Medicare Advantage, Original Medicare, Part D and Medigap with you side by side.
What To Do Next
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List your doctors, hospital, prescriptions and pharmacy.
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Decide what matters most: your network, predictable costs, travel, or the ability to switch later.
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Check your deadlines. Medicare Advantage plans open November 1, and Annual Enrollment ends December 7. If your plan is ending, note your Medigap guaranteed-issue deadline.
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Talk it through. Call Gilman Agency at (800) 927-9326 or email marc@gilmanagency.com. If you would like a licensed agent to contact you about your Medicare options, please complete our Permission to Contact form.
We offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 1 organization which offers 2 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
Sources
Medicare.gov (“Compare Original Medicare & Medicare Advantage” and Medigap guaranteed-issue rights); the New Hampshire Insurance Department’s “Medicare Advantage Changes in New Hampshire – 2027” and 2026 Guide to Medicare Supplement Insurance; and InDepthNH (October 22, 2026) and NHPR (October 23, 2026) coverage of the Governor’s announcements.
This article is general educational content, current as of publication. It is not a recommendation for any specific plan. Carrier participation, networks and premiums can change; confirm details with the plan or at Medicare.gov. Gilman Agency is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.
