Comparing Medigap Plan G vs Plan N is the decision most new Medicare Supplement shoppers actually face, because these two standardized plans have become the workhorses of the Medigap market now that Plan F is closed to newly eligible enrollees. Both plans pay the large hospital and doctor bills that Original Medicare leaves behind, and both are sold by dozens of insurers in most states. The real differences come down to three things: the monthly premium, a handful of small copays that Plan N asks you to pay, and how each plan handles Medicare Part B excess charges. This 2026 guide walks through what each plan covers, where the costs genuinely differ, who tends to come out ahead with each option, and the enrollment-timing rules that matter far more than most people realize.
How Medigap plans work in the first place
Medicare Supplement Insurance, better known as Medigap, is private coverage that works alongside Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). Medicare pays its share of an approved service first, then the Medigap plan pays some or all of what remains — deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. Plans are standardized by letter: every Plan G sold in your state must cover the same benefits, and the same is true of every Plan N, so the meaningful differences between insurers are price, rate-increase history, and service. Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage, so most enrollees pair it with a standalone Part D plan, and it cannot be combined with a Medicare Advantage plan. The federal government’s official plan-comparison tool at Medicare.gov shows which policies are sold in your ZIP code. If you are still weighing whether a supplement or an all-in-one plan makes more sense, our guide to Medicare Advantage vs Original Medicare covers that broader fork in the road.
Medigap Plan G vs Plan N: coverage side by side
The two plans are far more alike than different. Both cover the Part A hospital deductible, hospital coinsurance, skilled-nursing coinsurance, the 20 percent Part B coinsurance framework, blood, hospice cost-sharing, and emergency care during foreign travel. Neither covers the annual Part B deductible, which every enrollee pays out of pocket. Here is where they diverge:
| Benefit | Plan G | Plan N |
|---|---|---|
| Part A hospital deductible | Covered in full | Covered in full |
| Part B annual deductible | Not covered (you pay) | Not covered (you pay) |
| Part B coinsurance (20%) | Covered in full | Covered, minus small copays |
| Office-visit copay | None | Up to $20 per visit |
| Emergency-room copay | None | Up to $50 (waived if admitted) |
| Part B excess charges | Covered | Not covered |
| Foreign travel emergency | 80% after deductible, to plan limits | 80% after deductible, to plan limits |
| Typical monthly premium | Higher | Lower, often meaningfully so |
In plain terms: Plan G is the more comprehensive of the two, and once you have paid the annual Part B deductible, you generally owe nothing further for Medicare-approved care for the rest of the year. Plan N trades a lower premium for up-to-$20 copays at office visits, an up-to-$50 copay at the emergency room that is waived if you are admitted, and no protection against excess charges.
What are Part B excess charges, and should you care?
An excess charge can occur when you see a provider who does not accept Medicare assignment. Non-participating providers are allowed to bill up to 15 percent above the Medicare-approved amount, and Plan N does not pay that surcharge, while Plan G does. How much this matters depends on where you live and whom you see. The large majority of physicians who treat Medicare patients accept assignment, so many Plan N enrollees never encounter an excess charge, and several states — including New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Minnesota — prohibit or restrict excess charges outright. If you live in one of those states, Plan G’s excess-charge protection is worth little to you. If you split time between states, see specialists in high-cost markets, or simply dislike the idea of an unpredictable surcharge, that protection carries real weight. You can check whether a specific doctor accepts assignment through Medicare.gov’s provider search before you ever book an appointment.
The premium math: how the savings actually play out
Premiums vary by state, age, sex, tobacco use, insurer, and rating method, but the pattern is consistent: Plan N usually costs noticeably less per month than Plan G from the same insurer — commonly on the order of 15 to 30 percent less. Suppose Plan G costs $150 per month in your market and Plan N costs $115. That $35 gap is $420 per year in guaranteed premium savings. To erase it, you would need roughly 21 office-visit copays at the full $20, which is more primary-care and specialist visits than a typical healthy enrollee makes in a year. This is why Plan N tends to favor people who see doctors a handful of times annually, while heavy utilizers — those managing multiple chronic conditions with frequent specialist visits — may find Plan G’s first-dollar simplicity worth the extra premium. Just as important as the starting price is the insurer’s rate-increase history, because a cheap plan that raises rates aggressively can overtake a pricier competitor within a few years. Ask an independent agent, or your state insurance department, for each carrier’s recent rate-increase record before you commit.
High-deductible Plan G: the third option worth knowing
Many insurers also sell a high-deductible version of Plan G. It has the same benefits as standard Plan G, but coverage begins only after you have paid a plan-level deductible ($2,870 in 2025; the figure adjusts annually, so confirm the current amount). In exchange, premiums are dramatically lower — often a third or less of the standard Plan G price. High-deductible G suits people who want catastrophic protection against a major hospitalization but are comfortable self-funding routine care. It is not standardized comfort: a bad health year means you pay the full deductible before the plan contributes. If your priority is predictable spending, standard Plan G or Plan N remains the better fit.
Enrollment timing matters more than the plan letter
The single best time to buy either plan is your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window, insurers must sell you any plan they offer at standard rates regardless of your health history. Outside it, in most states, insurers can use medical underwriting — meaning they can charge more or decline you altogether based on health conditions. This has a practical consequence for the G-versus-N decision: choosing N now and planning to “upgrade” to G later is not guaranteed to work, because the switch may require passing underwriting. A minority of states (such as New York and Connecticut, with variations elsewhere) offer continuous or annual guaranteed-issue rights, and some insurers allow penalty-free moves between their own plans. Know your state’s rules before assuming you can change your mind. The official overview of Medigap rights and protections at Medicare.gov’s Medigap basics is the authoritative starting point, and your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) offers free one-on-one counseling.
Who tends to choose which plan
Plan G is generally the better fit if you want maximum predictability, see doctors frequently, live in a state that permits excess charges, or simply prefer paying one known premium and almost nothing else. Plan N tends to win for budget-conscious enrollees in good health, people in states that ban excess charges, and anyone whose visit pattern makes the copay exposure trivial next to the premium savings. Neither choice is irreversible in every state, but because underwriting can lock you into your first pick, it pays to decide carefully during open enrollment rather than defaulting to the cheapest quote. Whichever letter you choose, compare at least three insurers for the same plan — identical benefits can differ in price by hundreds of dollars a year.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between Medigap Plan G and Plan N?
Plan G covers Part B excess charges and has no copays; Plan N charges up to $20 for office visits and up to $50 for ER visits (waived on admission) and does not cover excess charges. In exchange, Plan N’s premium is usually meaningfully lower.
Does either plan cover the Part B deductible?
No. Plans sold to people newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 cannot cover the Part B deductible, so both G and N enrollees pay it out of pocket each year.
Is Plan N cheaper than Plan G?
Almost always, often by roughly 15 to 30 percent from the same insurer, though exact premiums depend on your age, state, tobacco status, and carrier. Compare quotes for both letters from several insurers.
Can I switch from Plan N to Plan G later?
Only if you qualify. Outside your one-time open enrollment window, most states allow insurers to apply medical underwriting, so a switch can be denied or priced up based on your health. A few states have guaranteed-issue rules that make switching easier.
Do Plan G and Plan N include drug coverage?
No. Neither covers prescriptions, so most enrollees add a standalone Part D plan. See our guide to Medicare Part D plans for how that coverage works.
Final thoughts
The Medigap Plan G vs Plan N decision in 2026 is less about coverage — the plans are nearly identical — and more about arithmetic and timing. Total up Plan N’s realistic copay exposure for your visit pattern, weigh it against the guaranteed premium savings, check whether your state even allows excess charges, and review each insurer’s rate-increase history. Then buy during your Medigap open enrollment window, when no insurer can turn you away. Either plan, purchased thoughtfully from a stable carrier, will do the job it was designed for: turning Original Medicare’s open-ended gaps into predictable costs.
Disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and is not medical, financial, insurance, or legal advice. Plan availability, premiums, deductibles, and rules vary by state and change yearly; confirm current details at Medicare.gov or with your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) and a licensed agent before enrolling.