Most states offer Medicare Supplement plans labeled by letters—Plan G, Plan N, and so on. But not Wisconsin. If you’re newly eligible or exploring your options in the Badger State, you’ve probably noticed you won’t find these lettered Medigap plans. Instead, Wisconsin uses a unique system: a Medicare Base Plan with customizable riders.
In this guide, we’ll explain exactly how Wisconsin’s Base Plan works, how it compares to the popular Plans G and N available elsewhere, and why this difference matters when it comes to your healthcare costs and flexibility. Whether you’re switching from another state or choosing your first supplement plan, this article will give you the insight you need to decide with confidence.
📚 Table of Contents
| Section | Jump to Section |
|---|---|
| 🧱 What Is the Wisconsin Base Plan? | Jump to Section |
| 📋 What’s Included in the Core Benefits? | Jump to Section |
| ➕ Add-On Riders: The Wisconsin Advantage | Jump to Section |
| ⚖️ How the Base Plan Compares to Plan G | Jump to Section |
| 📉 Wisconsin Base Plan vs. Plan N | Jump to Section |
| 🎯 Who Should Consider the Wisconsin Base Plan? | Jump to Section |
| ❓ FAQ | Jump to Section |
🧱 What Is the Wisconsin Base Plan?
The Wisconsin Medicare Supplement Base Plan is a standardized package of benefits required by state law. Every insurer offering Medigap in Wisconsin must provide the same Base Plan, which includes a comprehensive set of benefits that form the foundation of your supplemental coverage.
Unlike Plan G or N, which come as all-in-one packages, the Base Plan gives you a modular foundation. You start with core coverage and then customize it using optional riders. This structure gives Wisconsin residents more flexibility and control over their plan design and costs.
📋 What’s Included in the Core Benefits?
The Wisconsin Base Plan includes core benefits that every Medicare Supplement policy in the state must offer:
Medicare Part A coinsurance for inpatient hospital care
Medicare Part B coinsurance (including preventive care)
First three pints of blood each year
Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
Coverage for 40 home health care visits per year
Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance
Outpatient mental health care services
Some preventive care not covered by Medicare
This list closely mirrors the benefits offered in popular plans like G and N—but the difference lies in how you build on it with optional riders.
➕ Add-On Riders: The Wisconsin Advantage
Wisconsin allows you to customize your plan by adding riders—optional benefits that cover gaps not included in the Base Plan. These allow you to approximate the coverage of Plans G or N—or even go beyond them.
Common riders include:
Part A Deductible Rider
Part B Deductible Rider (not available to new enrollees after 2020)
Part B Excess Charges Rider
Foreign Travel Emergency Rider
Additional Home Health Care Rider
Preventive Care Rider
Skilled Nursing Coinsurance Rider
Each rider comes at an additional monthly cost. The beauty of this model? You only pay for what you actually want.
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Get My Quote⚖️ How the Base Plan Compares to Plan G
Plan G is often considered the most comprehensive Medigap plan available to new enrollees outside of Wisconsin. It covers everything except the Medicare Part B deductible.
To match Plan G using Wisconsin’s Base Plan, you’d typically need to add these riders:
Part A Deductible Rider
Part B Excess Charges Rider
Skilled Nursing Coinsurance Rider
Foreign Travel Emergency Rider
Once these are added, your coverage will look a lot like Plan G. However, Wisconsin residents can also add extra riders (like the Additional Home Health Care Rider), allowing for even more personalized protection than Plan G offers.
📉 Wisconsin Base Plan vs. Plan N
Plan N is a cost-saving option that requires you to pay some copays and doesn’t cover Part B excess charges. It’s a popular plan for people who are healthy and want to save on premiums.
In Wisconsin, you can mimic a Plan N-type structure by:
Starting with the Base Plan
Adding only the Part A Deductible and Skilled Nursing riders
Skipping the Part B Excess Charges Rider to reduce premium
Not including the Preventive or Foreign Travel riders if not needed
This allows healthy beneficiaries to create a low-cost plan comparable to Plan N while keeping the flexibility to add more coverage later.
🎯 Who Should Consider the Wisconsin Base Plan?
The Wisconsin Base Plan is ideal for people who want flexibility and control. If you’re comfortable navigating a bit of plan-building or working with a licensed agent, you can often build a plan that’s both more affordable and more personalized than the lettered alternatives.
✅ Good fit for:
People with unique care needs
Tech-savvy retirees who want control
Budget-conscious enrollees who want to avoid overpaying
People who want to expand coverage beyond what Plan G or N allows
It’s not ideal for those who want a pre-packaged plan with zero customization.
Read more relevant articles about Medigap Riders in Wisconsin
- How Wisconsin’s Medicare Base Plan Works (Plan G vs N)
- Most Popular Riders for Medicare In Wisconsin
- Most Popular Riders for Medicare in Wisconsin (Ranked by Value)
- Can You Change Your Riders Later?
- What Medicare Riders Cost in 2025
- Medigap or Advantage, which is better with Wisconsin Riders?
- How to Pick the right Medicare Riders at age 65 in Wisconsin
❓ FAQ
Yes, but you may need to pass underwriting unless you qualify for a guaranteed issue right.
It depends. If you add many riders, it can be similar or slightly more—but you’re also getting extra flexibility.
You’ll still have solid core benefits, but you’ll miss out on coverage like the Part A deductible or skilled nursing coinsurance.
Most are standard, but pricing and availability can vary slightly by company.
Usually yes, but you may have to answer medical questions unless you’re in a guaranteed issue window.
