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What is the best Medigap plan? Plan G, Plan N or Plan F

Plan G is the default for most people newly eligible. Here is when N is the better buy and why F is off the table for most.

Updated August 17, 2026 · 3 min read

Because Medigap plans are standardized, this question has a much cleaner answer than most Medicare questions. Three plan letters account for the vast majority of policies sold.

Plan F, mostly historical

Plan F covered everything, including the Part B deductible. It is closed to anyone who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020.

If you became eligible before that and hold Plan F, you keep it. Whether you should is a separate question, because closed plans tend to see steeper rate increases over time as no new, healthier members join the pool. See Plan F versus Plan G.

Plan G, the current default

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.

• Part A deductible and coinsurance, plus 365 extra hospital days
• Part B coinsurance, the 20 percent
• Part B excess charges
• Skilled nursing coinsurance
• Foreign travel emergency, up to a limit

For most people newly eligible, this is the plan to beat. See whether Plan G is worth it.

Plan N, the value option

Plan N covers the same ground as G with three differences.

• A small copay for some office visits, up to a modest amount
• A small copay for emergency room visits that do not result in admission
• It does not cover Part B excess charges

In exchange the premium is meaningfully lower. If the annual premium saving exceeds what you would pay in copays, N is the better buy.

How to choose between G and N

1. Get quotes for both from the same carrier.
2. Multiply the monthly difference by twelve. That is your annual saving with N.
3. Estimate your office visits per year and multiply by the copay.
4. If the saving comfortably exceeds the copays, take N. If it is close, take G for the simplicity.

For someone who sees a doctor twice a year, N usually wins. For someone with frequent specialist visits, G often does.

High deductible Plan G

A fourth option worth knowing. Same coverage as Plan G, but you pay a set annual deductible before it begins paying, in exchange for a much lower premium.

It suits people who want protection against a catastrophic year rather than first dollar coverage. See high deductible Plan G.

The other plan letters

Plans A, B, D, K, L and M exist and are legitimate, but they are far less commonly sold and usually do not price well against G and N. If a specific situation points to one, it is worth discussing rather than dismissing.

Since coverage is identical across companies for the same letter, once you pick a letter the rest is a price comparison. See how to compare rates.