Medigap Plan C
Closed to anyone new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020
Plan C covers every gap in the chart except one — Part B excess charges — and because it covers the Part B deductible, it's closed: nobody new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 can buy it. If you already own Plan C, keeping or leaving it is a real decision, not a reflex.
Who Plan C tends to fit
- People who already own Plan C and value near-first-dollar coverage: no Part A deductible, no Part B deductible, no coinsurance on Medicare-covered care.
- People eligible for Medicare before 2020 who still qualify to buy it and want the Part B deductible covered.
The trade-offs
- A closed pool ages: no new healthy 65-year-olds join Plan C, which tends to push its premiums up faster than open plans over time.
- Part B excess charges are yours — the one chart benefit Plan C lacks and the open Plan G covers.
- Its edge over open Plan D is the annual Part B deductible ($283 in 2026); when Plan C's premium runs far above your open-plan quotes, you may be paying more than that deductible for the privilege — and switching away later may require medical underwriting in most states, so decide with an advisor, not a headline.