If you’ve started shopping for a Medicare Supplement policy, you’ve met the alphabet: Plan A, Plan G, Plan N, and more. Here’s the single most useful fact in all of Medigap plans explained simply — the letters are standardized by federal law. Every Plan G covers exactly the same benefits as every other Plan G, no matter which insurance company sells it. Once that clicks, comparing supplements stops being about marketing and starts being about two questions: which letter fits you, and which carrier offers it at the right price. This guide walks through both.
A quick note up front: this article is educational only. Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE are the official sources for Medicare information.
What Medigap Does — the Short Version
Medigap (Medicare Supplement) insurance works alongside Original Medicare. Medicare Part A and Part B pay first, and your Medigap policy then pays some or all of the gaps — deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments — depending on which letter you own. Because the plans ride on top of Original Medicare, you can generally see any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare, with no networks or referrals. What a Medigap policy does not include is prescription drug coverage, which is why most supplement owners pair their policy with a standalone Part D drug plan.
Medigap Plans Explained Letter by Letter: G, N, and High-Deductible G
Ten standardized letters exist, but for people shopping today, three options do most of the work. Here’s how their benefit structures compare.
Plan G: The Most Comprehensive Option for New Enrollees
Plan G covers essentially every gap in Original Medicare except one: the annual Part B deductible. Once you’ve paid that deductible, Plan G picks up your Part A hospital deductible and coinsurance, your Part B coinsurance in full, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, the first three pints of blood, and foreign travel emergency care up to plan limits. It also covers Part B excess charges — the up-to-15-percent surcharge a non-participating provider is allowed to bill above the Medicare-approved amount. The trade-off is straightforward: Plan G carries the highest premiums of the three discussed here in exchange for the fewest out-of-pocket surprises.
Plan N: Lower Premiums, Modest Cost Sharing
Plan N covers the same major gaps as Plan G with two structural differences. First, you agree to small copays — up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that don’t end in admission. Second, Plan N does not cover Part B excess charges, so a provider who doesn’t accept Medicare’s approved amount as full payment could bill you the difference. In exchange, monthly premiums run noticeably lower than Plan G. For someone who sees doctors a handful of times a year and confirms their providers accept Medicare assignment, the math can be attractive.
High-Deductible Plan G: The Backstop Approach
High-deductible Plan G offers the identical benefit structure as standard Plan G, but benefits only begin after you’ve met an annual deductible set by federal rules and adjusted each year. Until then, you pay Medicare’s cost sharing yourself. Premiums are substantially lower than standard Plan G, which makes this letter appeal to people who mainly want protection against a catastrophic year rather than first-dollar coverage. You trade predictable small costs for a lower fixed premium and a known worst case.
The Other Letters, Briefly
Plans A, B, K, L, and M fill smaller niches — K and L, for example, pay a percentage of certain gaps until you reach an annual out-of-pocket limit. And two letters come with an asterisk: Plans C and F, which cover the Part B deductible, are closed to anyone who became newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. If you were eligible before that date, they may still be available to you, and current policyholders can keep what they have.
Same Letter, Different Price: Why Premiums Vary
Because benefits are identical within a letter, price is where carriers actually compete — and premiums for the same plan can differ significantly between companies in the same Florida ZIP code. Carriers also use different pricing methods: community-rated policies charge everyone the same regardless of age, issue-age policies base the premium on your age at purchase, and attained-age policies start lower but rise as you get older. A carrier’s rate-increase history matters as much as its starting price. This is exactly where independent comparison earns its keep, and our Medicare help page explains how a licensed agent lines up multiple carriers’ pricing for the same letter side by side.
Timing Matters: Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period
Your strongest position as a Medigap buyer is a one-time window: the six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period that begins the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. During those six months, carriers must sell you any policy they offer without medical underwriting — no health questions can be used to deny you or raise your rate. After the window closes, applying for or switching Medigap coverage usually involves underwriting, and approval isn’t guaranteed. That doesn’t mean changes are impossible later, but it does mean the letter and carrier you choose during your window deserve real thought.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Plan G the same no matter which company sells it?
Yes, in terms of benefits. Medigap plans are standardized federally, so Plan G from one carrier covers exactly the same gaps as Plan G from another. What differs is the monthly premium, the carrier’s rate history, and the pricing method used to set future increases.
What is the real difference between Plan G and Plan N?
Plan G covers the Part B coinsurance in full and covers Part B excess charges. Plan N has lower premiums in exchange for modest cost sharing: copays of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that do not lead to admission, and it does not cover Part B excess charges.
Can I buy a Medigap plan whenever I want?
You can apply anytime, but your strongest buying position is the six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period that starts when you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, carriers cannot deny you or charge more based on health. Outside it, medical underwriting usually applies.
Why can’t I buy Plan F?
Plans C and F cover the Part B deductible, and federal law closed them to anyone newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. If you were eligible before that date you may still be able to buy them, and people who already have them can keep them.
Does a Medigap plan cover prescription drugs?
No. Medigap plans sold today do not include prescription drug coverage. Most people who choose Original Medicare with a Medigap plan also enroll in a standalone Part D prescription drug plan to cover their medications.
Talk It Through with a Local Agent — Free
Having Medigap plans explained in the abstract is one thing; seeing actual premiums for Plan G, Plan N, and high-deductible G from multiple carriers for your age and ZIP code is another. Maher Insurance Group is an independent brokerage in Fort Lauderdale — our licensed agents work with multiple A-rated carriers and are paid by the carriers, never by you, so the comparison costs nothing. Call (866) 220-2834 to talk through the letters, or fill out our short online questionnaire and an agent will follow up with side-by-side options.
Maher Insurance Group is a licensed independent insurance brokerage and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to the plans we do offer. Contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE for information on all of your options.
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