Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) is a private policy that pays your share of costs after Original Medicare. Medigap is sold by private insurance companies, but the benefits each plan covers are set by federal law.
That standardization is what makes Medigap straightforward to shop: every insurer’s Plan G covers the exact same benefits as every other insurer’s Plan G. Only the monthly premium varies. The same is true for Plan N, Plan K, and every other letter.
The chart below shows what each plan covers. Plans A, B, D, G, K, L, M, and N are available to people newly eligible for Medicare today. Plans C and F (shown on the right) were closed to new enrollees on January 1, 2020.
| Benefit | A | B | D | G | K | L | M | N | C* | F* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A coinsurance & hospital costs (up to 365 additional days) | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
| Part B coinsurance or copayment | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 50% | 75% | 100% | 100%** | 100% | 100% | |
| Blood (first 3 pints) | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 50% | 75% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
| Part A hospice care coinsurance/copayment | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 50% | 75% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance | — | — | 100% | 100% | 50% | 75% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
| Part A deductible | — | 100% | 100% | 100% | 50% | 75% | 50% | 100% | 100% | 100% | |
| Part B deductible | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 100% | 100% | |
| Part B excess charges | — | — | — | 100% | — | — | — | — | — | 100% | |
| Foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits) | — | — | 80% | 80% | — | — | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | |
| Out-of-pocket annual limit (limits update annually) | — | — | — | — | $8,000 | $4,000 | — | — | — | — |
Plans C and F covered the Part B deductible, which made them popular while available. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) closed them to anyone newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. If you became eligible before that date, you can still buy or keep Plan C or Plan F.
Plan N is one of the most-compared options because of its lower premium and two small copays. We walk through exactly which office visits trigger the $20 copay (and which don’t) in Plan N Copays: Which Office Visits Trigger the $20 (and Which Don’t).
Comparing Medigap plans? Get in touch and we’ll walk through what fits your situation.