Medicare Supplement Plans in Farmingdale, NY: 2026 Rates, Carriers, and What New York’s Rules Really Mean for You

By Paul Barrett, CMIP | The Modern Medicare Agency | Melville, NY 18+ years Medicare-exclusive experience | Licensed in 34 states | 40+ carriers

If you live in Farmingdale and you’re looking at Medicare Supplement plans — also called Medigap — in 2026, there are two things I want you to know before we go any further.

First: New York gives you consumer protections that most Americans will never have. You can apply for a Medigap plan any time of year without health questions, regardless of your medical history. That is genuinely powerful.

Second: The Medigap market on Long Island in 2026 is going through something I haven’t seen in 18 years of doing this. Carriers are raising rates aggressively. The dominant carrier controls an outsized share of the market. Some plans are priced so high they appear designed to discourage new enrollment. And the limited carrier competition in New York — a direct consequence of our guaranteed issue rules — means Farmingdale residents have fewer choices than people in most other states.

This article tells you the full story. The good, the expensive, and the underutilized options most agents won’t bring up.

What Is Medicare Supplement (Medigap) and Why Does It Matter in Farmingdale?

Original Medicare — Parts A and B — covers a lot, but it leaves significant gaps. There’s no cap on what you can owe out of pocket. You pay 20% of every Part B service with no ceiling. There’s a $1,736 hospital deductible per benefit period in 2026. A serious illness or hospitalization can cost you thousands even with Medicare.

A Medicare Supplement plan — Medigap — is a private insurance policy that sits alongside Original Medicare and covers most or all of those gaps. You keep your Medicare card. You see any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare. No networks, no referrals, no prior authorizations. The supplement simply pays what Medicare doesn’t.

For Farmingdale and Nassau County residents, this is particularly valuable in 2026 given the network volatility affecting Medicare Advantage plans. If your doctors are at Northwell Health, NYU Langone, or Catholic Health — and two major Medicare Advantage carriers have already dropped Northwell from their networks this year — a Medigap plan means your coverage never depends on whether your carrier and your hospital system can agree on a contract.

New York's Medigap Rules: What Makes This State Different

New York operates under rules that are significantly more consumer-friendly than most states — but those same rules create market dynamics that drive costs higher. Understanding both sides is essential before you make a decision.

What New York requires:

Community rating. In New York, every carrier must charge the same premium for a given Medigap plan regardless of your age, health status, or when you enrolled. A 65-year-old and an 82-year-old pay the same monthly premium for the same Plan G from the same carrier. This is rare nationally — most states use attained-age pricing, where your premium rises every year as you get older.

Year-round guaranteed issue. New York law requires every Medigap carrier to accept any Medicare enrollee’s application at any time throughout the year — with no health questions, no medical underwriting, and no ability to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions. You cannot be turned down. You cannot be charged more because you’re sick.

No waiting periods for pre-existing conditions. Coverage begins immediately. There is no exclusion period for conditions you had before enrolling.

What these rules mean for Farmingdale residents:

The ability to apply year-round without underwriting is an enormous advantage — especially compared to residents of states where switching Medigap plans later in life means passing a health exam you may not be able to pass.

But there’s a trade-off. Because New York requires carriers to accept everyone regardless of health, there is an adverse selection dynamic built into the market. Sicker people — people who use their coverage heavily — disproportionately hold Medigap plans. That drives claims up. Carriers respond by raising premiums. And because premiums are the same for everyone regardless of age, New York’s starting prices are significantly higher than what a 65-year-old would pay in most other states.

New York is the most expensive Medigap market in the country. That is not a coincidence — it is the direct cost of having the most consumer-friendly enrollment rules in the country.

The Carrier Problem: Why New York Has So Few Real Options

In most states, a Medigap consumer can choose from 15, 20, or even 30 carriers actively competing for their business. That competition drives prices down and gives consumers real choice.

In New York in 2026, the NY DFS lists these carriers as offering Medicare Supplement plans on Long Island:

  • UnitedHealthcare (AARP Program)
  • Aetna Life Insurance
  • EmblemHealth Plan, Inc.
  • Transamerica Financial Life Insurance
  • Mutual of Omaha
  • Globe Life Insurance
  • Humana
  • Bankers Conseco Life Insurance

Eight carriers on paper. Here is what that list actually looks like in practice — because what the DFS publishes and who is genuinely available to Farmingdale residents are two very different things.

What the DFS list doesn’t tell you:

Aetna is listed as a carrier on the NY DFS website as a Medigap option for Plan G. However, Aetna is currently not accepting individual Medigap enrollments in New York. The rate appears on the published table, but you cannot actually enroll. A Farmingdale consumer who calls Aetna expecting to purchase a plan will be turned away.

Transamerica no longer sells individual Medicare Supplement plans to individuals in New York. As of May 2026, Transamerica only accepts enrollments through specific affiliated associations or groups. If you call Transamerica directly, they will tell you they are not selling individual Medigap policies in this state. To access Transamerica’s rates — which are genuinely competitive on Long Island at $444.83 for Plan G — you must be a member of a qualifying association or group that has a relationship with Transamerica. This is not widely disclosed and has caught many consumers off guard. (Source: Post-Journal Senior News, June 2026)

EmblemHealth has a long history in New York dating back to the GHI and HIP days. However, their current Medicare Supplement operation is a shadow of that former presence. EmblemHealth does not currently have an external sales team and does not allow licensed agents to offer or enroll consumers in their Medigap plans. The only way to enroll is directly through EmblemHealth — by downloading an application from their website and mailing it in with a check. Beyond the enrollment friction, EmblemHealth carries an AM Best financial strength rating of C — the lowest financial strength rating among any carrier in our analysis, and significantly below the ratings of the other carriers in this market. AM Best’s C rating indicates concerns about the company’s ability to meet its long-term obligations. For a plan you may hold for 20 years, financial strength matters. This is a meaningful consideration that most published Medigap guides don’t flag. EmblemHealth may appear on rate tables and their Plan N price of $314.77 on Long Island is lower than UHC’s $299.00 — wait, actually UHC is still cheaper on Plan N. EmblemHealth at $314.77 is $15.77 more per month than UHC — but the combination of enrollment friction, no agent access, and a C AM Best rating means I do not actively recommend them to most Farmingdale clients.

Humana at $647.27 for Plan G on Long Island is not competitive. That’s $274.77 more per month than UHC for identical coverage — over $3,297 more per year. I have a great deal of respect for Humana nationally, but in the Long Island Medigap market in 2026, they are not positioned to compete for new enrollments. Their pricing reflects that reality.

Bankers Conseco at $840.28 for Plan G is the highest-priced Plan G on Long Island — more than double UHC’s rate for the same coverage. This is enrollment suppression priced in plain sight. No agent is selling this plan. No informed consumer is buying it.

Mutual of Omaha is a genuinely strong company nationally with an A+ Superior AM Best rating and a long track record of rate stability. Their customer service reputation is excellent. On Long Island, however, their Plan G at $511.36/month is priced significantly above what most Farmingdale residents will find acceptable when UHC offers the same coverage at $372.50. In markets where UHC doesn’t dominate, Mutual of Omaha is often the right answer. In New York’s concentrated market, the premium differential is simply too large for most clients to justify.

Globe Life at $461.00 for Plan G falls between UHC and Transamerica. Worth checking, but Globe Life’s Medigap business in New York is limited and their customer service infrastructure is not as robust as the major carriers.

The real picture: When you strip away the carriers that aren’t accepting enrollments, the ones that require association membership, the ones priced out of the market, and the one with a concerning financial rating — Farmingdale residents turning 65 in 2026 are essentially choosing between UnitedHealthcare (AARP) and a very short list of secondary options. That is the honest state of the Long Island Medigap market.

2026 Long Island Rate Table: What Plans Actually Cost — And Who's Actually Enrolling

These are official rates from the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS), effective April 1, 2026, for the Long Island rating region. These are community-rated premiums — every carrier charges one flat rate on Long Island. There are no zip code variations within the Long Island rating region. A 65-year-old in Farmingdale pays the same as an 82-year-old in Massapequa for the same plan from the same carrier.

But the rate table is only half the story. The column that matters just as much is whether you can actually enroll.

Plan G — Long Island Monthly Premiums (NY DFS, April 1, 2026)

Carrier

Long Island Monthly Premium

Actually Enrolling?

UnitedHealthcare (AARP Program)

$372.50

✅ Yes — requires AARP membership

Aetna Life Insurance

$406.26

⛔ Not currently accepting NY enrollments

EmblemHealth Plan, Inc.

$393.72

⚠️ Direct/mail enrollment only — no agent access — AM Best C rating

Transamerica Financial

$444.83

⚠️ Group/association enrollment only — not available to individuals

Globe Life Insurance

$461.00

✅ Limited availability

Mutual of Omaha

$511.36

✅ Yes — but significantly above market on Long Island

Humana

$647.27

✅ Yes — not competitively priced on Long Island

Bankers Conseco

$840.28

✅ Yes — effectively priced out of market

Source: NY Department of Financial Services, Community Rated Medicare Supplement Premium Comparison Tables, April 1, 2026.

The spread that tells the whole story: The difference between the lowest available Plan G (UHC at $372.50) and the highest (Bankers Conseco at $840.28) is $467.78 per month$5,613 per year — for literally identical federal coverage. Same benefits. Same protections. Different price tags. And notably, Aetna at $406.26 is actually priced higher than UHC despite not even accepting enrollments — which tells you something about how this market operates.

Plan N — Long Island Monthly Premiums (NY DFS, April 1, 2026)

Carrier

Long Island Monthly Premium

Actually Enrolling?

UnitedHealthcare (AARP Program)

$299.00

✅ Yes — requires AARP membership

EmblemHealth Plan, Inc.

$314.77

⚠️ Direct/mail enrollment only — no agent access — AM Best C rating

Transamerica Financial

$417.31

⚠️ Group/association enrollment only

Globe Life Insurance

$450.00

✅ Limited availability

Humana

$458.83

✅ Yes — not competitively priced

Bankers Conseco

$523.54

✅ Yes — effectively priced out of market

Source: NY Department of Financial Services, Community Rated Medicare Supplement Premium Comparison Tables, April 1, 2026. Aetna and Mutual of Omaha do not appear in the Long Island Plan N table in the current DFS filing.

The practical Plan N reality: UHC at $299.00/month is the lowest-priced Plan N carrier on Long Island that is accessible through an independent broker. EmblemHealth at $314.77 is actually $15.77 more per month than UHC — and with no agent access, paper-only enrollment, and an AM Best C financial strength rating, there is no practical reason for most Farmingdale residents to choose EmblemHealth for Plan N.

High Deductible Plan G: EmblemHealth lists their HD Plan G (called Plan G+) at $65.36/month on Long Island. Call me for current UHC and other carrier HD Plan G rates — these are updated periodically and worth comparing side by side for healthy enrollees who want significantly lower monthly premiums.

The Rate Increase Problem: What's Happening to Medigap in 2026

This is the part of the Medigap story that nobody’s talking about loudly enough.

UnitedHealthcare received approval from the New York DFS to raise Medigap rates by 17.8% for 2026 — the largest single-year approved increase in New York in recent memory. Members received letters notifying them of increases that took effect in 2026. Some have reported premium increases of 18–20% in a single year.

This is not unique to UHC. Across the country, Medigap carriers are filing double-digit increases as rising medical costs, higher post-pandemic claims utilization, and years of underpriced premiums catch up with the market. But in New York, the problem is compounded by two factors:

Factor 1: Adverse selection at scale. Because New York requires carriers to accept everyone year-round with no underwriting, the Medigap pool here skews sicker than in other states. People who are healthy often gravitate toward $0 Medicare Advantage plans to save money. People who are sick — and who will use their coverage heavily — are more motivated to buy a comprehensive Medigap plan. This creates a pool with higher average claims, which drives premiums up for everyone.

Factor 2: Limited competition. With so few carriers in the market, there’s less competitive pressure to hold rates down. And because UHC is already the cheapest option for most New Yorkers, there’s nowhere to go when their rates rise.

What this means for Farmingdale residents today:

If you’re currently on a Medigap plan and saw a significant rate increase in 2025 or 2026, you have every right to shop alternatives. In New York, you can switch carriers any time of year without underwriting. But be realistic: given that UHC is the lowest-priced carrier, your switching options may be limited unless you’re willing to consider a different plan type — like Plan N or High Deductible Plan G.

The Plans: G, N, and High Deductible Plan G Explained

Plan G — The Most Comprehensive Option

Plan G covers virtually everything Original Medicare doesn’t, with one exception: the annual Part B deductible of $283 in 2026. After you pay that once a year, Plan G covers:

  • 100% of the Part A hospital deductible ($1,736 per benefit period)
  • 100% of hospital coinsurance for days 61–90 and lifetime reserve days
  • 100% of skilled nursing facility coinsurance (days 21–100)
  • 100% of Part B coinsurance — the 20% Medicare doesn’t cover
  • 100% of Part B excess charges (though New York caps these at 5%, making this rarely relevant here)
  • 80% of emergency care outside the U.S. (up to $50,000 lifetime)

What Plan G does NOT cover: prescription drugs (you need a separate Part D plan), dental, vision, or hearing.

The full annual cost picture for a Long Island Plan G enrollee in 2026 (UHC, lowest available):

Cost Component

Annual Amount

Plan G premium — UHC (lowest on Long Island)

$372.50 × 12 = $4,470/year

Part B deductible

$283

Part D drug plan (lowest available in NY)

~$200–$400+/year

Minimum annual commitment

~$4,953–$5,153+

Out-of-pocket for covered medical services

$0 after deductible

Plan G is the right choice when predictability matters more than monthly cost — when you’re managing a chronic condition, seeing multiple specialists, or simply want to know that a hospitalization or surgery won’t produce a surprise bill. After that annual deductible, your exposure on covered services is zero.

Plan N — The Lower-Premium Alternative

Plan N provides the same core hospital coverage as Plan G with two meaningful differences: you pay up to $20 for office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that don’t result in admission. In exchange, Plan N premiums run roughly $100–$130/month less than Plan G on Long Island.

Important New York-specific fact: New York prohibits Medicare excess charges — doctors in this state cannot legally bill above the Medicare-approved amount. In most other states, the lack of excess charge coverage in Plan N is a real vulnerability. In New York, it is irrelevant. Plan N residents here get essentially the same coverage as Plan G for routine services — just with copays when you use care.

Who Plan N makes sense for:

  • People who are relatively healthy and see the doctor infrequently
  • People who want the freedom of a Medigap plan but find Plan G premiums too high
  • People who are comfortable with modest, predictable copays rather than a higher monthly premium

The math with exact 2026 Long Island figures: UHC Plan N at $299.00/month vs. UHC Plan G at $372.50/month — a difference of $73.50/month or $882/year. At a $20 copay per office visit, you’d need roughly 44 office visits per year to wipe out that annual savings. For most healthy retirees who see their doctor a handful of times per year, Plan N’s premium savings are real and hard to argue against — especially in New York, where excess charges are legally prohibited and can’t catch you off guard the way they can in other states.

High Deductible Plan G — The Underutilized Option

This is the plan I consider most overlooked in the New York market — and arguably the most strategic choice for healthy Farmingdale residents on a fixed income.

High Deductible Plan G provides identical coverage to standard Plan G, with one critical difference: you pay all Medicare-covered costs out of pocket until you reach the annual deductible of $2,950 in 2026. Once you hit that threshold, the plan covers everything standard Plan G covers for the rest of the year.

In exchange for taking on that higher deductible, your monthly premium drops dramatically.

The financial case for High Deductible Plan G on Long Island:

If standard Plan G runs ~$372/month and High Deductible Plan G runs significantly lower — ask me for current carrier quotes as these change — the annual premium savings can be $1,500–$2,500 or more. For a healthy person who rarely hits significant medical costs, the math often favors the high deductible version even in years where they pay some out-of-pocket costs.

The break-even question: how often will you actually spend $2,950 in a year on Medicare-covered services? For many healthy retirees the honest answer is: not often. The premium savings compound over the years when you don’t hit the deductible.

Important caveat: High Deductible Plan G is not the right choice for someone managing a serious chronic condition or expecting significant medical utilization. If you’re regularly hitting specialist bills, hospital visits, or ongoing treatment costs, standard Plan G’s zero out-of-pocket exposure after the $283 deductible is worth every dollar of the higher premium.

Paul's Take: The Honest State of the Farmingdale Medigap Market in 2026

I’ve been doing this for 18 years. I’ve never seen the Long Island Medigap market this constrained.

When you remove the carriers that aren’t accepting individual enrollments (Aetna), the ones that require association membership you probably don’t have (Transamerica), the one with a C financial strength rating and no agent access (EmblemHealth for most clients), and the ones priced so far above the market that they function as enrollment deterrents (Humana, Bankers Conseco, Mutual of Omaha for Long Island specifically) — you are left with essentially one carrier that a Farmingdale resident can independently enroll in through a licensed broker: UnitedHealthcare.

That is not a market. That is a near-monopoly. And it has real consequences.

When UHC raises rates by 17.8% — as they did for 2026 — there is nowhere to go. Switching to another UHC plan doesn’t help because the increase applies across their book. Switching to a competitor means paying more for the same coverage, using a carrier with a weaker financial rating, navigating enrollment friction, or accessing a plan through a group you may not belong to.

This is the honest truth about Medigap on Long Island that most guides — including the ones published by major financial sites — simply don’t tell you. They show you a rate table with eight carriers and make it look like a competitive market. It isn’t.

What this means practically for Farmingdale residents:

If you’re turning 65 and choosing Medigap for the first time, UHC Plan G at $372.50 is the realistic starting point. Plan N at $299.00 is worth serious consideration given that New York prohibits excess charges — making Plan N’s only meaningful gap versus Plan G the office visit copays. For healthy, cost-conscious enrollees, High Deductible Plan G deserves a real conversation.

If you’re already on a Medigap plan and received a rate increase letter, you’re not imagining the frustration. The market structure here means your options for switching to meaningful savings are genuinely limited. What you can do is make sure you’re on the right plan type for your current health situation — sometimes the right move is to shift from Plan G to Plan N, or from standard Plan G to HD Plan G, rather than switching carriers.

And if you’re currently on Medicare Advantage and thinking about switching to Medigap — New York’s year-round guaranteed issue makes that possible at any time without underwriting. That option is real, meaningful, and unique to this state.

The Suppression Problem: When Plans Are Priced to Discourage You

I want to be direct about something that affects the Long Island Medigap market and that most people — including most agents — don’t discuss openly.

Just as some Medicare Advantage carriers use enrollment suppression tactics (making plans non-commissionable or restricting online enrollment when they don’t want new business), some Medigap carriers in New York price their plans at levels that function as de facto enrollment suppression. When a carrier’s Plan G on Long Island is priced at $550–$700+ per month, it’s not competitive. It’s a price signal that says “we are not actively seeking this business.”

In a market as concentrated as New York’s, this matters. When most of the real competition sits with one carrier, and the other carriers either aren’t competitive or are pricing themselves out of the market, consumers face a real constraint — not just in terms of today’s price, but in terms of future rate stability. A dominant carrier with 70%+ market share has enormous pricing power and less competitive pressure to hold increases down.

This is why I always tell Farmingdale clients: shopping Medigap in New York is not just about finding the lowest premium today. It’s about understanding the market structure, knowing who is actually competing for your business, and making a realistic assessment of where rates are likely to go over the next 5–10 years.

Why Medigap Makes Particular Sense for Farmingdale Residents Right Now

Farmingdale sits in a Medicare Advantage market that is experiencing significant network instability in 2026. Two major carriers — Wellcare and HealthSpring (formerly Cigna) — have dropped Northwell Health from their Medicare Advantage networks. With 31 MA plan options in Nassau County, the complexity of evaluating network access, copay structures, and out-of-pocket maximums has never been greater.

A Medigap plan removes that complexity entirely. With Plan G or Plan N, your coverage doesn’t depend on which carrier and which hospital system have a current contract. Your doctors at Northwell, NYU Langone, St. Joseph, or anywhere else that accepts Medicare will accept your Medigap coverage — because Medigap works alongside Original Medicare, not as a substitute for it.

The trade-off is real: Medigap on Long Island is expensive, and the rate environment is challenging. But for Farmingdale residents who value provider freedom, who travel, who are managing complex conditions across multiple specialists, or who simply want a guaranteed predictable cost structure — Medigap deserves serious consideration alongside the Medicare Advantage options.

Plan Comparison: Which Is Right for You?

 

Plan G

Plan N

HD Plan G

Part B deductible (2026)

You pay $283

You pay $283

You pay $283

Office visit copays

$0

Up to $20

$0 after deductible

ER copays

$0

Up to $50 (waived if admitted)

After deductible

Hospital coverage

100%

100%

100% after deductible

Excess charges

Covered

Not covered (irrelevant in NY)

Covered after deductible

Lowest Long Island premium (2026)

$372.50/mo (UHC)

$286.81/mo (EmblemHealth)

Significantly lower — call for current rates

Annual deductible

None

None

$2,950

Best for

Maximum protection, heavy utilization

Moderate utilization, lower monthly cost

Healthy, cost-conscious, rarely hits deductible

Frequently Asked Questions: Medigap in Farmingdale, NY

 No. New York law requires every Medigap carrier to accept any Medicare enrollee’s application at any time throughout the year, with no health questions and no ability to deny coverage based on health status or medical history. This applies 365 days a year — not just during a special enrollment window.

Yes, at any time, without underwriting. In most other states, switching Medigap plans after your initial enrollment period requires passing a health exam. In New York, you can apply with any carrier for any plan they offer, year-round, with no health questions. If you’ve seen a significant rate increase, you have the right to compare alternatives and switch.

Two primary reasons. First, New York’s guaranteed issue rules create an adverse selection dynamic — sicker people who use coverage heavily are more likely to hold Medigap plans, which drives average claims up and premiums with them. Second, the market has very few carriers competing for business, which limits price competition. New York is the most expensive Medigap market in the country. That is the direct cost of having the strongest consumer protections.

 UHC received NY DFS approval for a 17.8% rate increase for 2026 — the largest single-year approved increase in New York in recent memory. Despite this increase, UHC remains the lowest-priced Plan G and Plan N carrier in New York. This reflects how expensive the alternatives are, not how reasonable the increase was.

No. Plan G — like all Medigap plans — does not include prescription drug coverage. You need a separate Medicare Part D plan. When calculating your total annual cost under Plan G, always include your Part D premium and expected drug costs alongside the Plan G premium and Part B deductible.

Yes, High Deductible Plan G is available in New York. It provides the same coverage as standard Plan G but requires you to pay all Medicare-covered costs out of pocket until you reach the annual deductible of $2,950 in 2026. In exchange, monthly premiums are significantly lower. For healthy Farmingdale residents who rarely incur significant medical costs, it can be the most financially efficient Medigap option available.

There is no universal answer. Medigap gives you complete provider freedom, predictable costs, and no network restrictions. Medicare Advantage typically offers lower monthly premiums and extra benefits like dental and vision but comes with network limitations and out-of-pocket costs when you use care. Given the network volatility affecting Medicare Advantage plans in Nassau County in 2026 — with two major carriers having dropped Northwell from their networks — Medigap’s provider freedom has particular value right now. See our full Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap comparison for Farmingdale for a detailed side-by-side.

The New York DFS publishes official rate comparison tables updated regularly at dfs.ny.gov. You can also use the DFS online rate lookup tool to see current premiums by zip code and carrier. Or call me — I’ll pull current rates across every carrier available in your area at no charge.

Ready to Compare Your Options?

The Medigap market in New York is complicated, concentrated, and experiencing real rate pressure in 2026. Getting a clear picture of what you’re actually paying — and what your alternatives are — requires someone who knows this market and isn’t tied to a single carrier.

I represent 40+ carriers as a fully independent broker. I will show you every option available in your zip code, explain what each one actually costs over time, and give you my honest read on which makes the most sense for your situation. My consultation is free. Always.

Paul Barrett, CMIP The Modern Medicare Agency 📞 631-358-5793 ✉️ medicare@paulbinsurance.com 🌐 paulbinsurance.com 📍 445 Broad Hollow Rd, Melville, NY 11747

Licensed in 34 states | 40+ carriers | 18+ years Medicare-exclusive experience | 5,000+ clients served

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External sources:

Disclaimer: The Modern Medicare Agency is not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program. Premium data reflects NY DFS published rate tables and is subject to change. Actual premiums vary by carrier and specific zip code within the Long Island rating region. Verify current rates directly with carriers or through a licensed independent broker before making any coverage decisions. We do not offer every plan available in your area.

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