Quick answer: Medigap Plan G and Plan N cover the same core hospital and medical costs, and neither covers the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026). The differences are small but real: Plan N has copays of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that do not lead to admission, and it does not cover Part B excess charges, while Plan G covers both. Plan N usually costs less each month, so the better choice depends on how often you see doctors and whether your providers accept Medicare assignment.
Plan G and Plan N are two of the Medigap plans people compare most often, especially since Plans C and F stopped being available to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. Both pay most of the costs Original Medicare leaves behind. Both leave you responsible for the Part B deductible. The question is whether Plan G’s fuller coverage is worth its higher premium, or whether Plan N’s lower premium makes up for a few copays and a small risk of excess charges.
This guide compares the two plans benefit by benefit, explains the two places where they differ, and walks through a method for estimating which one is likely to cost you less. It belongs to our complete Medicare guide, which explains how Medigap fits with the rest of Medicare. If you are still deciding whether Medigap or Medicare Advantage is the right route, read our comparison of Medicare Advantage vs Medigap first.
Benefit details come from Medicare.gov’s Medigap plan comparison chart, checked October 2026. This article is general information and does not recommend any insurer or policy.
How Medigap Plans Are Standardized
In most states, Medigap plans are standardized by federal and state law and labeled with letters: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M and N. A Plan G policy covers the same benefits no matter which insurance company sells it. What changes between companies is the premium, how the company prices its policies over time, and customer service.
Three states standardize Medigap differently: Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin. People in those states have their own set of plan designs, so the letter comparison in this article does not apply directly there.
Where Medigap fits
Medigap only works alongside Original Medicare, which is made up of Part A hospital insurance and Part B medical insurance. Original Medicare pays first, then the Medigap policy pays its share of the remaining approved costs. If you want a refresher on what each part covers before comparing supplements, see Medicare Parts A, B, C and D explained. Medigap also cannot be used with a Medicare Advantage plan, and each policy covers one person, so spouses buy separate policies.
Why Plans C and F are off the table for many
People who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 cannot buy Plan C or Plan F, because those plans cover the Part B deductible and federal law ended sales of plans covering that deductible to newly eligible people. Anyone eligible before 2020 may still be able to buy them. For most new enrollees, Plan G has become the most complete option available, with Plan N as a lower-premium alternative.
What Plan G and Plan N Both Cover
Most of the comparison chart is identical for the two plans. According to Medicare.gov, both Plan G and Plan N cover:
- Part A coinsurance and hospital costs for up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are used up
- The Part A deductible, which is $1,736 per benefit period in 2026
- Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayments
- Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance
- The first three pints of blood
- 80% of foreign travel emergency care, up to plan limits
Neither plan covers the Part B deductible. In 2026, that is $283, which you pay before either plan starts helping with Part B costs. Our explainer on deductibles, copays and coinsurance defines those terms if they are new to you. Neither plan includes prescription drug coverage, so people with either one usually join a separate Part D plan.
What these shared benefits mean in practice
For hospital stays, both plans protect you almost completely. A long hospital stay, a skilled nursing stay after a qualifying hospital admission, or hospice care would generally leave little or nothing for you to pay under either plan, beyond any Part B costs during that period.
The Two Differences That Matter
Plan G and Plan N differ in only two places, but those two places drive the decision.
Difference 1: Plan N copays
Plan G pays 100% of the Part B coinsurance after you meet the Part B deductible. Coverage under Plan N looks similar on paper, but Medicare.gov notes that you pay a copayment of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that do not result in an inpatient admission.
How often those copays apply depends on how you use care. Someone who sees doctors a few times a year will pay only a few small copays. Someone with several specialists and frequent visits may pay many more. Emergency room visits that lead to admission do not trigger the $50 copay.
Difference 2: Part B excess charges
Medicare.gov’s page on whether your provider accepts Medicare as full payment explains that most doctors accept assignment, meaning they take the Medicare-approved amount as payment in full. Some providers, called non-participating providers, do not accept assignment for every service. In many cases they can charge up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount. That extra amount is the “limiting charge,” and the part above the approved amount is commonly called an excess charge.
Plan G covers Part B excess charges. Plan N does not. If you use a provider who charges the excess, you pay it yourself under Plan N.
The risk is easy to manage for many people. Asking whether a provider accepts Medicare assignment before an appointment, and choosing providers who do, keeps excess charges off the table. Some states also restrict or ban excess charges, so it is worth asking your state insurance department how the rules work where you live.
Plan G vs Plan N at a Glance
| Benefit | Plan G | Plan N |
|---|---|---|
| Part A deductible ($1,736 per benefit period in 2026) | Covered | Covered |
| Part A coinsurance and extra 365 hospital days | Covered | Covered |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance | Covered | Covered |
| Hospice coinsurance | Covered | Covered |
| First 3 pints of blood | Covered | Covered |
| Part B deductible ($283 in 2026) | Not covered | Not covered |
| Part B coinsurance | Covered | Covered, except copays up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for ER visits without admission |
| Part B excess charges | Covered | Not covered |
| Foreign travel emergency | 80% up to plan limits | 80% up to plan limits |
| Typical premium | Higher | Lower |
How to Estimate Which Plan Costs You Less
Premiums vary widely by insurer, state, age and pricing method, so this article does not list prices. You can still compare the two plans for your own situation with a short calculation.
Step 1: Get quotes for both plans
Ask several insurers licensed in your state for Plan G and Plan N quotes, using the same start date. Many state insurance departments publish Medigap premium comparison guides, and a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor can help you find them. Ask each insurer how it prices its policies: community-rated, issue-age-rated or attained-age-rated. Our article on what factors determine your insurance premium explains how insurers set prices more generally.
Step 2: Find the yearly premium gap
Subtract the yearly Plan N premium from the yearly Plan G premium for the same insurer or the best quote in each plan. Call that number the premium gap.
Step 3: Estimate your Plan N copays
Count the office visits you expect in a typical year and multiply by up to $20. Add up to $50 for each emergency room visit you might have without being admitted. Your visit history from the past year or two is a reasonable guide.
Step 4: Estimate excess charge exposure
Check whether your regular doctors accept assignment. If they all do, excess charges are unlikely. If any do not, estimate how often you see them and remember that the excess can be up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount for many services.
Step 5: Compare
When your estimated Plan N copays and excess charges add up to less than the premium gap, Plan N is likely to cost less in a typical year. Higher expected copays and excess charges point toward Plan G as the better value. Run the numbers for a low-use year and a high-use year to see how the answer changes.
High-Deductible Plan G
Some states also offer a high-deductible version of Plan G. Medicare.gov’s chart says that with a high-deductible Plan G, you pay up to $2,950 in 2026 for Medicare-covered costs, including coinsurance, copayments and deductibles, before the policy pays anything. After that, it pays like a standard Plan G for the rest of the year.
High-deductible Plan G usually has a much lower premium than standard Plan G. It can suit people who are healthy, have savings to cover the deductible and want protection mainly against large costs. Because the deductible resets every January, a year with significant care costs could cost more overall than standard G or N.
Questions to Ask Before You Buy
Before choosing between Plan G and Plan N, these questions help avoid surprises:
- Am I within my six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, when insurers cannot deny coverage or charge more because of health conditions?
- Do my doctors and specialists accept Medicare assignment?
- How many office and specialist visits did I have last year, and do I expect more?
- How does each insurer price its policies, and how have its premiums changed in past years?
- Does my state restrict excess charges, offer extra Medigap protections or allow switching plans without health questions at certain times?
- If I may want to switch from Plan N to Plan G later, will I have to answer health questions?
- Which Part D plan will I pair with the Medigap policy?
Switching between G and N later
Outside your Medigap Open Enrollment Period and any guaranteed issue right, insurers in most states can use medical underwriting when you apply for a different Medigap plan. That applies whether you move from Plan N to Plan G or the other way, and approval is not guaranteed. A few states give broader rights, so check with your state insurance department.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Plan G better than Plan N?
Plan G covers more, because it pays Part B excess charges and has no office or emergency room copays. Plan N usually costs less each month. Which is better depends on how often you use care and whether your doctors accept Medicare assignment.
Does Plan N cover the Part B deductible?
No. Neither Plan N nor Plan G covers the Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026.
What are Part B excess charges?
They are amounts a non-participating provider may charge above the Medicare-approved amount, limited in many cases to 15% above that amount. Plan G covers them; Plan N does not.
Can I switch from Plan N to Plan G later?
You can apply, but in most states insurers may use medical underwriting outside your Medigap Open Enrollment Period or a guaranteed issue situation, so approval is not guaranteed.
Do Plan G and Plan N cover prescription drugs?
No. Medigap policies sold today do not include drug coverage, so people with either plan usually join a separate Part D drug plan.
Is Plan G the same with every insurance company?
In most states, yes. Medigap plans are standardized, so the benefits of Plan G are the same from every insurer. Premiums, pricing methods and service differ. N: This article is general information only and is not insurance advice. Pro Insurance Info does not sell Medigap policies. Confirm benefits and prices with insurers licensed in your state, your state insurance department, 1-800-MEDICARE or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program.
