Medicare Plan G: What It Costs & Covers in 2026
If a friend who already has Medicare ever told you "just get Plan G and don't think about it," they weren't wrong, exactly. Plan G has become the default Medigap choice for new enrollees because of one specific fact about how the math works in 2026 — and that fact is worth a few minutes to understand.
What Plan G covers
Medicare Plan G is a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy. It pays for the cost-sharing that Original Medicare leaves to you — coinsurance, copays, hospital deductibles, foreign travel emergencies — with one specific exception: it does not pay the annual Part B deductible ($257 in 2026).
Once you've paid that deductible — usually within your first doctor visit or test of the year — Plan G then pays 100% of the Part B coinsurance for everything else. No copays. No 20% on imaging. No 20% on outpatient surgery. No 20% on chemotherapy infusions.
The fact that Plan G is silent on the Part B deductible (and Plan F isn't) is the only meaningful difference between the two plans. Once that $257 deductible is met, the two plans cover identically.
| Benefit | Plan G | Plan N |
|---|---|---|
| Part A coinsurance & hospital costs (up to 365 extra days) | 100% | 100% |
| Part B coinsurance / copayment | 100% | 100%* |
| Blood (first 3 pints) | 100% | 100% |
| Part A hospice care coinsurance | 100% | 100% |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance | 100% | 100% |
| Part A deductible | 100% | 100% |
| Part B deductible | ✕ Not covered | ✕ Not covered |
| Part B excess charges | 100% | ✕ Not covered |
| Foreign travel emergency (up to plan limit) | 80% | 80% |
* Plan N requires up to a $20 copay for some office visits and up to $50 for ER visits that don't result in admission.
What Plan G typically costs
Premium ranges vary substantially by state, age, gender, tobacco use, and household discount eligibility. The 2026 national median premium for Plan G is roughly $135 to $160 per month for a 65-year-old non-tobacco-using woman in a standard market. Same person at age 75: typically $180–$225/month. Tobacco users add roughly 20–25%. High-cost states like New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts run substantially higher because of community-rated pricing.
You can get state-specific premium ranges in our Plan G cost lookup tool.
How Plan G changed when Plan F was sunsetted
Until 2020, Plan F was the most popular Medigap plan, covering everything including the Part B deductible. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015 mandated that no Medigap plan covering the Part B deductible could be sold to people newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. The reasoning was first-dollar coverage — paying nothing at the point of service was thought to drive overutilization of medical services.
Plan G stepped into the void Plan F left. For people newly eligible for Medicare in 2020 or later, Plan G is the most comprehensive available coverage. People who were eligible before that date (still grandfathered Plan F) often hold onto Plan F for sentimental or convenience reasons, but the math frequently doesn't favor it: Plan F premiums tend to run $300–$600/year higher than Plan G premiums, and the Part B deductible only saves you $257.
Who Plan G is right for
- People who want predictable medical costs. Once your Part B deductible is met, Plan G removes essentially all medical cost-sharing for the rest of the year. For people on a fixed income who don't want surprise medical bills, this is the cleanest answer Medicare offers.
- People who travel. Plan G includes foreign travel emergency coverage at 80% (up to lifetime $50,000) — Original Medicare alone covers nothing outside the US.
- People who want flexibility to use any provider. Plan G has no network. Any doctor who takes Medicare will work.
- People with chronic conditions. Frequent specialist visits, infusions, imaging, and procedures all have $0 patient cost-share after the Part B deductible.
Who Plan G isn't right for
- People who want to minimize monthly premium. Plan G runs $130–$220/month for most beneficiaries. Plan N typically saves $30–$60/month with some additional cost-sharing (office visit copays, ER copay if not admitted, no Part B excess charge coverage).
- People prioritizing extra benefits like dental, vision, hearing. Medigap plans cover Original Medicare cost-sharing only. They don't add dental, vision, or hearing benefits. Medicare Advantage plans typically include those benefits, often with $0 monthly premium — but with networks and prior authorizations.
- People in low-income brackets eligible for Medicaid or Extra Help. If you qualify for full Medicaid or the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program, your Medicare cost-sharing is already covered by Medicaid. Buying Plan G on top would be duplicative.
The enrollment timing that matters
The most important enrollment fact about Plan G: your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is the six-month window starting the month you turn 65 and are enrolled in Part B. During those six months, no Medigap carrier can refuse to sell you a policy or charge higher premiums based on your health. After that window closes, in most states, Medigap underwriting kicks in and carriers can decline to cover you or quote higher premiums based on your medical history.
This six-month window is why timing matters so much. If you delay enrolling in Part B (because you have employer coverage, for example), your Medigap window is delayed too — but only until you actually enroll in Part B. Once Part B is active, the clock starts.
High-deductible Plan G: a quieter option
A version of Plan G called High-Deductible Plan G (HDG) exists. It works the same way as standard Plan G but with a $2,870 annual deductible (2026 figure) before the plan starts paying anything. Premiums are dramatically lower — often $30–$60/month versus $130–$200 for standard Plan G.
HDG works mathematically for healthy people who don't expect significant medical use in a typical year. The tradeoff is exposure: in a year with major medical events, you pay the deductible plus your Part B deductible plus all the regular Part B coinsurance up to the deductible. For people in good health with savings, HDG can be a smart way to combine catastrophic coverage with low monthly premiums.
Pairing Plan G with Part D
Plan G doesn't include prescription drug coverage. You'll need a separate Medicare Part D plan to cover medications, with monthly premiums typically $20–$50 for a basic plan. The choice of Part D plan is independent of Plan G — Plan G is from one carrier, Part D often from another. Use Medicare.gov's plan finder during open enrollment (October 15–December 7 each year) to find the lowest-cost Part D plan that covers your specific medications.
How to choose a Plan G carrier
All Plan G policies cover the same things — that's the whole point of standardized Medigap plans. The differences between carriers are price, customer service, household discounts, and carrier financial stability. Practical guidance:
- Compare quotes from at least 3–4 carriers in your specific ZIP code. Premium variation between carriers offering the same Plan G is often 30%+.
- Ask about household discounts. Many carriers offer 5–12% discounts when a spouse or partner also enrolls. Sometimes the discount is structured to apply even if both members aren't on the same carrier.
- Check the carrier's AM Best rating. A-rated carriers are well-established. Smaller carriers with lower ratings may quote cheaper but rate-increase patterns can be unpredictable.
- Ask about historical rate increase history. Some carriers have aggressive year-over-year increases; others are more stable. This data is sometimes available from your state insurance department.