Medigap Plan K

Plan K is a cost-sharing plan: it pays your Part A hospital coinsurance in full, then 50% of most other gaps — Part B coinsurance, blood, hospice cost-sharing, skilled nursing coinsurance, and the Part A deductible. The trade comes with a safety valve: once you've met the annual Part B deductible and your out-of-pocket spending for the year reaches $8,000 in 2026, the plan pays 100% of Medicare-covered costs for the rest of the calendar year.

What does Plan K cover?

Part A coinsurance and hospital costs (up to 365 extra days after Medicare benefits are used) — Covered 100%
Part B coinsurance or copayment — Covered 50%
Blood (first 3 pints) — Covered 50%
Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment — Covered 50%
Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance — Covered 50%
Part A deductible — Covered 50%
Part B deductible — Not covered
Part B excess charges — Not covered
Foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits) — Not covered

Who is Plan K a good fit for?

People who want a hard annual ceiling on a bad year and are comfortable paying half of most cost-sharing on the way there.
People who mostly stay healthy but want catastrophic protection — the $8,000 limit turns Original Medicare's open-ended exposure into a known worst case.
Budget-focused shoppers also comparing High-Deductible Plan G, the other pay-as-you-go, capped-worst-case design.

What are the trade-offs of Plan K?

Half of everything adds up: 50% of the $1,736 Part A deductible and 50% of the 20% Part B coinsurance are real bills in a busy year, and the 100% coverage only starts after you've spent $8,000.
No foreign travel emergency benefit, and Part B excess charges aren't covered — and what you pay in excess charges doesn't count toward the out-of-pocket limit.
The limit resets every January and CMS adjusts it annually — the ceiling is an annual figure, not a lifetime one.

Key facts

Part A deductible: Covered 50% (2026)
Part B deductible: Not covered (2026)
Part B excess charges: Not covered (2026)
Yearly out-of-pocket limit, then the plan pays 100%: $8,000 (2026)
Sold by: Private insurers, standardized by federal law — same benefits at every company

Frequently asked questions

Does Plan K cover the Part B deductible?

No. You pay the annual Part B deductible yourself — $283 in 2026 — and Plan K picks up its share of covered services after that.

Does Plan K cover Part B excess charges?

No. If a doctor does not accept Medicare assignment, the excess charge — up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount — is yours. Not every state allows those charges.

Does Plan K cover care outside the United States?

No. Plan K includes no foreign travel emergency benefit, and Original Medicare almost never pays for care outside the United States.

Is Plan K the same at every insurance company?

Yes. Medigap benefits are standardized by law, so Plan K is the same package of benefits whoever sells it. Price, service and rate history are what differ — three states (Massachusetts, Minnesota, Wisconsin) standardize their plans differently.

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)