---
title: What Is Medigap Insurance?
description: Medicare doesn't cover everything. So some people buy a separate policy for the areas Medicare falls short on. This is known as Medigap insurance.
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published: '2014-05-30T17:39:25.000Z'
modified: '2020-05-29T11:41:26.000Z'
section: Insurance
tags:
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  - Medigap
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![What Is Medigap Insurance?](https://money.com/img/logo-social.png)

Medicare provides a whole lot of coverage, but it doesn't cover everything. So some people choose to buy a separate policy to provide coverage for the areas Medicare falls short on. This is known as Medigap insurance. You buy Medigap from a private insurance company.

You can also use your Medigap policy to cover expenses you have under Medicare, such as annual co-pays and deductibles.

Important note: If you opt for a Medicare Advantage Plan ([Medicare Part](https://money.com/what-is-medicare/)), any Medigap policy you have won't pay out. So if you decide to move into a Medicare Advantage Plan and you already have a Medigap policy, drop the Medigap.

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