Insurance Carrier
Wellabe
Original Medicare was never designed to pay all your bills - it covers roughly 80% of approved medical costs, and the remaining 20% has no annual cap, which means a serious illness or hospital stay can hand you a financial obligation that follows you for years. Wellabe (formerly Great Western Insurance Company, in business since 1954) built its entire business around closing exactly that gap - offering Medicare Supplement policies that step in where Medicare stops. If you have ever lain awake wondering what a long hospital stay would actually cost you out of pocket, that is the problem a Wellabe Medigap policy is designed to solve.
Wellabe is not trying to be everything to everyone - they made a deliberate choice to concentrate on Medicare Supplement coverage, and that focus is precisely what makes them worth a close look. A carrier that has spent decades engineering Medigap products understands the nuances of Medicare cost-sharing, claims coordination, and policyholder experience in ways that generalist insurers often do not. When you choose a dedicated Medigap specialist with an A (Excellent) AM Best financial strength rating, you are not betting on a company that added Medicare Supplement as an afterthought - you are working with one that made it the core of the business.
What Wellabe Is Known For
AM Best rates Wellabe (formerly Great Western Insurance Company) A (Excellent) for financial strength - the same organization has held this rating tier across decades of operation, reflecting a long record of claims-paying reliability
Wellabe traces its roots to Great Western Insurance Company, founded in 1954 and headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa - the 2023 rebrand to Wellabe modernized the brand while preserving over 70 years of Medigap underwriting history
Medicare Supplement plan offerings typically include Plan G, Plan N, and High-Deductible Plan G (Plan HDG), among other standardized Medigap plan letters where available by state - Plan G and Plan N are the most widely quoted options for new Medicare beneficiaries today
Like all standardized Medigap policies, a Wellabe Medicare Supplement plan carries no provider network restrictions - you can see any doctor or visit any hospital that accepts Original Medicare, anywhere in the United States, without a referral
Wellabe distributes its Medigap products exclusively through independent licensed insurance agents and brokers, and is known in the agent community for competitive premium pricing on Plan G and Plan N - particularly for beneficiaries enrolling at or near their Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period
Member Perks & How to Use Them
With a Wellabe Medigap policy, the value is not found in a quarterly allowance card or a gym discount - it is built into the very architecture of how the policy works. Every time you walk into a doctor’s office or hospital, you are carrying a coverage structure that was specifically engineered to eliminate the financial exposure Original Medicare leaves open. Understanding how that structure operates day-to-day is what separates policyholders who feel genuinely protected from those who only discover their coverage when something goes wrong.
How to use your Wellabe Medigap policy: At every doctor’s office, specialist, or hospital visit, present both your red, white, and blue Medicare card and your Wellabe Medicare Supplement ID card. Medicare pays first - Wellabe pays its portion of the remaining approved costs automatically, with no claims for you to file in most cases
No network - see any Medicare-accepting provider: Unlike Medicare Advantage, your Wellabe Medigap policy has no provider network. You can see any doctor, specialist, or hospital that accepts Original Medicare anywhere in the United States - no referrals, no prior authorization, no out-of-network penalties
Prescription coverage - add a standalone Part D plan: Medicare Supplement policies do not include prescription drug coverage. Ask your agent to help you select a standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan alongside your Wellabe Medigap - without a Part D plan, outpatient prescriptions are fully out of pocket
Household discount: Ask your agent whether Wellabe offers a household discount in your state if another eligible adult in your home also needs Medigap coverage - where available, this can reduce your annual premium meaningfully
Travel coverage: Your Wellabe Medigap policy covers Medicare-approved care anywhere in the United States - a significant advantage if you travel seasonally or split time between states, since you are never out of network as long as the provider accepts Medicare
Availability
Wellabe Medicare Supplement plans are available in many states across the country, distributed through independent licensed agents. Specific plan letters, pricing, and availability vary by state, age, and underwriting status - confirm what is available in your ZIP code with a licensed agent before comparing options.
What to Verify Before Enrolling
A Medigap policy is not a one-size-fits-all purchase - your age, location, health history, enrollment timing, and prescription situation all shape whether a particular plan and carrier make sense for you. Before you commit to any Medicare Supplement policy, work through every item below so you are enrolling with full information, not assumptions.
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Confirm which Medicare Supplement plan letters (such as Plan G, Plan N, or High-Deductible Plan G) are currently available through Wellabe in your specific state, as not every plan letter is filed and approved in every state
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Request current premium quotes for your exact age and ZIP code - Medigap premiums are based on your age, gender, tobacco status, and location, so the rate you see in one area may differ significantly from another
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Clarify whether you are in your Medigap Open Enrollment Period (the six months following your Part B effective date), which guarantees acceptance regardless of health history - outside this window, medical underwriting may apply and some conditions could affect eligibility or pricing
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Ask your agent about Wellabe’s rate increase history in your state over the past three to five years - premium stability varies by state, carrier, and plan letter, and past rate trends can inform what to expect going forward
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Since Medicare Supplement plans do not include prescription drug coverage, confirm you have a separate standalone Part D prescription drug plan in place alongside any Medigap policy - without Part D, outpatient prescription costs are not covered
Contact Wellabe Directly
If you are an existing Wellabe policyholder with a billing question, a claim inquiry, or simply need to confirm your coverage details, the Member Services team is your direct line to accurate answers - they have access to your specific policy in a way no third party does. Have your member ID ready before you call, and use the contact information below to reach Wellabe directly.
Member Services
1-800-247-2401Website
www.wellabe.comMailing Address
Wellabe P.O. Box 14001 Des Moines, IA 50306
Contact information is provided for reference and may change. Always verify current contact details on Wellabe’s official website or your plan materials.
Benefits Vary by Plan, County, and Eligibility
Plan availability varies by county and ZIP code. Benefits, premiums, copayments, provider networks, formularies, and rules vary by plan and may change. Always review official plan materials before enrolling.
Check Wellabe Availability in Your Area
If closing the gap Original Medicare leaves open - with a carrier that has done nothing else for over 70 years - sounds like it might be worth exploring, the next step is finding out whether Wellabe’s rates in your specific ZIP code are as competitive as their reputation. Enter your information below and a licensed agent will pull current Medigap quotes for your area, walk you through which plan letters are available, and help you decide whether Wellabe is the right fit for your situation.
Quick Medicare Review
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