What is the difference between Medigap Plan F and Plan G?

What do Medigap Plan F and Plan G both cover?

Medigap Plan F and Plan G cover the same share of every benefit in Medicare.gov's chart of standardized Medigap benefits except the Part B deductible. Both plans pay 100% of:

• Part A coinsurance and hospital costs, up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are used
• The Part A deductible
• Part B coinsurance or copayments
• Part B excess charges
• The first 3 pints of blood
• Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayments
• Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance

Where do Plan F and Plan G differ?

Medigap Plan F and Plan G differ in benefits only on the Part B deductible: Plan F pays it and Plan G doesn't. Medicare.gov puts it this way: Plans D and G give you the same benefits as Plans C and F, except for covering the Part B deductible, which only Plans C and F offer.

With Plan G, you pay the Part B deductible yourself ($283 in 2026). A Medigap policy pays your coinsurance only after you've paid the deductible, unless the policy also covers the deductible. Both plans also pay 80% of emergency care during foreign travel, up to plan limits.

Who can still buy Medigap Plan F?

People who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020 may still be able to buy Plan F, even if they haven't enrolled yet; people who became eligible on or after that date can't. Medigap plans sold to people new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 aren't allowed to cover the Part B deductible, so Plans C and F aren't sold to them; they have the right to buy Plans D and G instead.

For this rule, Medicare's guide to Medigap says you're new to Medicare if you turned 65 on or after January 1, 2020 and get Part A on or after January 1, 2020. Insurance companies don't have to sell every plan letter, but an insurer that sells more than Plan A must offer Plan C or Plan F to people eligible before 2020, and Plan D or Plan G to people new to Medicare.

If you already have Plan F, you keep it as long as you pay the premium. Standardized Medigap policies are renewed automatically every year, even if you have health problems, and the insurance company can drop you only if you stop paying, weren't truthful on the application, or the company goes out of business.

Is there a high-deductible Plan F or Plan G?

Yes. Plans F and G are both offered as a high-deductible plan in some states. With the high-deductible option, you pay up to $2,950 in 2026 for Medicare-covered costs (deductibles, copayments and coinsurance) before the Medigap policy pays anything, and you pay a separate $250 yearly deductible for foreign travel emergency care. See how high-deductible Plan G works.

How do Plan F and Plan G premiums differ?

Medigap premiums vary by insurance company, plan and where you live, and each insurer sets its own price. Because every Plan G covers the same benefits, as does every Plan F, the price is the only difference between policies with the same letter, so Medicare.gov suggests comparing the same letter across companies (Plan G from one company with Plan G from another).

Insurers price policies in one of three ways: community-rated (generally the same premium for everyone regardless of age), issue-age-rated (based on your age when you buy) or attained-age-rated (based on your current age, so it goes up as you get older). You also keep paying the monthly Part B premium; Medicare doesn't pay Medigap premiums.

When can I buy Plan F or Plan G?

The 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period starts the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older. During it, an insurance company can't refuse to sell you any Medigap policy it offers or charge you more because of pre-existing health problems. After it, an insurer can use medical underwriting and may deny you, unless you have a guaranteed issue right; those rights cover Plan G, and Plan F only for people eligible for Medicare before 2020.

Medigap works only with Original Medicare: you can't use it with a Medicare Advantage plan. Medigap plans sold after 2005 don't include drug coverage, so you'd join a separate Medicare drug plan (Part D). See how Plan G compares with Plan N.