How do Medigap Plan G, Plan N and Plan F compare?

Plan G, Plan N and Plan F fill the same gaps in different ways. Here is what each letter pays and who each one fits.

Updated September 3, 2026 · 4 min read · by Gerino Alejos

Three interlocking puzzle pieces, the blue center piece reading Medigap. — Plan G covers everything Plan F did except the annual Part B deductible. You pay that once a year and essentially nothing else for covered services.

Key points

Plan G covers everything Plan F did except the yearly Part B deductible, the amount you pay yourself first.
Plan N asks less each month but adds small copays for some office visits and emergency room visits.
Plan F is closed to anyone who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020.

Medigap plans are standardized, so the letter on the plan sets the coverage and every company follows it. Three letters, F, G and N, cover most of the policies people buy. Plan F is closed to newer members, so the choice is usually between G and N.

Plan F, mostly historical

Plan F paid everything Original Medicare left behind, including the Part B deductible. A deductible is the amount you pay yourself before the plan starts paying. Part B covers doctor visits and outpatient care.

Plan F is closed to anyone who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. If you were eligible before that date and hold Plan F, you keep it.

Whether to keep it is a separate question. A closed plan takes in no new, healthier members, so rates tend to climb faster. See Plan F next to Plan G.

Plan G, the current default

Plan G covers everything Plan F did except the yearly Part B deductible. You pay that once a year, then essentially nothing else for covered care.

The Part A hospital deductible and coinsurance, your share of a bill figured as a percentage, plus 365 extra hospital days
The Part B coinsurance, the 20 percent of doctor and outpatient bills
Part B excess charges, the extra a doctor can bill when they have not agreed to Medicare's set price
Skilled nursing coinsurance, your daily share of nursing home care after a hospital stay
Emergency care while you travel outside the country, up to a limit

On a $5,000 outpatient surgery, Medicare pays $4,000 and you would owe $1,000. Plan G pays that $1,000, so you pay nothing.

For most people newly eligible, Plan G is the one to measure others against. See whether Plan G is worth it.

Plan N, the value option

Plan N covers the same ground as Plan G, with three differences. A copay is a flat dollar amount you hand over at the visit.

A small copay for some office visits, up to a set amount
A small copay for an emergency room visit that does not end in admission
It does not pay Part B excess charges

In exchange, the monthly bill for Plan N is lower. If a year of that saving beats a year of copays, Plan N is the better buy for you.

Excess charges are the part to think about. Most doctors accept Medicare assignment, which means they take Medicare's set price and never bill extra. If your doctors do not, or you travel where that is more common, Plan G removes the question.

How to choose between G and N

Ask for a price on both letters from the same company.
Multiply the monthly difference by twelve. That is your yearly saving with Plan N.
Count the office visits you expect in a year and multiply by the copay.
If the saving is comfortably larger, take Plan N. If it is close, take Plan G.

Someone who sees a doctor twice a year usually comes out ahead with Plan N. Someone who sees specialists often does better with Plan G.

High deductible Plan G

A fourth option is worth knowing. It covers the same care as Plan G, but you pay a set amount yourself each year before it pays. The monthly bill is much lower.

It suits someone who wants a backstop against a very expensive year rather than help with the first dollar of every bill. See how high deductible Plan G works.

The other plan letters

Plans A, B, D, K, L and M are real and legal to sell. They sell far less often and usually do not price well next to G and N. If one fits your situation, it is worth talking through.

Coverage is identical from company to company for the same letter. Once you pick a letter, the rest is a price comparison. See how to compare rates.

Pick your letter first, then shop the price. We can put G and N side by side for your own doctors. Call our McAllen office at (956) 687 3334, or enter your ZIP code in the plan pricing box on this page.

Common follow-up questions

Can I still buy Plan F?

Only if you became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Anyone eligible on or after that date cannot buy it.

Is Plan G better than Plan N?

Not for everyone. Plan G costs more each month and removes the copays and the excess charge risk. Plan N costs less and adds small copays. Compare the yearly price difference against the visits you expect.

Do all companies offer the same Plan G?

Yes. The coverage is set by law and is the same everywhere. Only the price, the way a company raises prices later, and the service differ.

Want this looked at properly?

We are an independent agency in McAllen serving Hidalgo, Cameron and Starr counties. There is no obligation to talk it through.

Call (956) 687 3334

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