Medigap Plans, Explained Plainly
Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plans are standardized by law — a Plan G is the same coverage at every company. The chart below is the whole benefit matrix.
What does a Medigap plan do?
Original Medicare pays roughly 80% of your medical costs and has no yearly cap on the rest. A Medigap policy is private insurance that pays that remaining share — the deductibles, the 20% coinsurance, the hospital costs — so a bad health year doesn't become a bad financial year. You keep Original Medicare's freedom: any doctor in the country who accepts Medicare, no networks, no referrals. Two things it never covers: prescription drugs (that's a separate Part D plan — skipping one has a permanent penalty) and routine dental or vision.
What does each Medigap plan cover in 2026?
| Benefit | A | B | C† | D | F† | G | K | L | M | N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A coinsurance and hospital costs (up to 365 extra days after Medicare benefits are used) | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% |
| Part B coinsurance or copayment | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 50% | Covered 75% | Covered 100% | 100% after small copays |
| Blood (first 3 pints) | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 50% | Covered 75% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% |
| Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 50% | Covered 75% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% |
| Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance | Not covered | Not covered | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 50% | Covered 75% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% |
| Part A deductible | Not covered | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Covered 50% | Covered 75% | Covered 50% | Covered 100% |
| Part B deductible | Not covered | Not covered | Covered 100% | Not covered | Covered 100% | Not covered | Not covered | Not covered | Not covered | Not covered |
| Part B excess charges | Not covered | Not covered | Not covered | Not covered | Covered 100% | Covered 100% | Not covered | Not covered | Not covered | Not covered |
| Foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits) | Not covered | Not covered | Covered 80% | Covered 80% | Covered 80% | Covered 80% | Not covered | Not covered | Covered 80% | Covered 80% |
| Yearly out-of-pocket limit, then the plan pays 100% | — | — | — | — | — | — | $8,000 | $4,000 | — | — |
† Plans C and F can't be purchased by anyone new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020.
Which Medigap plan should I read about?
- Medigap Plan G
- Medigap Plan N
- High-Deductible Plan G
- Medigap Plan F
- Medigap Plan A
- Medigap Plan B
- Medigap Plan C
- Medigap Plan D
- Medigap Plan K
- Medigap Plan L
- Medigap Plan M
When should I buy a Medigap policy?
Your one open enrollment
For 6 months after you first have Part B at 65+, companies must sell you any plan with no health questions. This window doesn't repeat. Guaranteed issue rights →
After the window
In most states, insurers can review your health and decline or surcharge you — medical underwriting. Waiting to buy Medigap "later" is a bet on staying healthy.
The 12-month trial right
Joined Medicare Advantage at 65 and regret it? For 12 months you can return to Original Medicare and buy Medigap with no health questions. Trial rights →
Key facts
- Plans open to people new to Medicare
- A, B, D, G, K, L, M and N — plus high-deductible G
- Closed to anyone eligible on or after January 1, 2020
- Plans C and F (they pay the Part B deductible)
- Part B deductible you pay under Plan G or N
- $283 (2026)
- Medigap open enrollment
- Six months from the month you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B
- Prescription drugs
- Not included in any Medigap plan sold today — a separate Part D plan covers them
Frequently asked questions
Is a Plan G from one company different from a Plan G from another?
No. Medigap benefits are standardized by law, so every Plan G covers the same things. What differs is the premium, how the company raises it over time, and the service. Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin standardize their plans differently.
When can I buy a Medigap policy without health questions?
During your six-month Medigap open enrollment window, which starts the month you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. In that window a company cannot refuse you or charge you more for your health. Some states add guaranteed issue rights.
Does a Medigap plan include prescription drug coverage?
No. No Medigap policy sold today includes drug coverage, so a separate Part D plan is how a Medigap household covers prescriptions.
Can I have a Medigap policy and a Medicare Advantage plan at the same time?
No. A Medigap policy works only with Original Medicare. If you join a Medicare Advantage plan, the Medigap policy pays nothing toward that plan's cost sharing.
Why are Plans C and F closed?
Federal law bars plans that pay the Part B deductible from being sold to anyone who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. People who were eligible before then may still buy or keep them.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) (accessed September 8, 2026)
- CMS — Choosing a Medigap Policy (product 02110), benefit chart (accessed September 8, 2026)
- CMS — 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (accessed September 8, 2026)
Further reading
- TRICARE for Life and Medicare 2026: Apopka, FL Veterans' Coverage Guide
- Medicare Trial Rights in 2026: Your 12-Month Guaranteed Way Back to Medigap
- TRICARE for Life & Medicare 2026: Orlando Area Veterans Guide
- Medicare Advantage, and the trade-off against Medigap
- The six-month Medigap open enrollment window
- Two-minute plan match quiz
- Medicare glossary: guaranteed issue, underwriting
- Find a licensed Medicare advisor by state
Updated September 8, 2026. Dollar figures are 2026 plan-year amounts transcribed from CMS publications and last verified by IM65 against the source for each: Parts A & B premiums, deductibles and IRMAA (August 11, 2026); Medigap benefit chart (October 1, 2026).