Medigap Plan A Benefits: What You Need to Know

Medicare Supplement Plan A offers all of the basic benefits included in every Medicare Supplement Insurance plan without any extras.
Alex Rosenberg
By Alex Rosenberg 
Updated
Edited by Dawnielle Robinson-Walker Reviewed by Debra Nuckols

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Nerdy takeaways
  • Medigap Plan A is a baseline Medicare Supplement Insurance plan with no extras.

  • About 1% of Medicare beneficiaries choose Medigap Plan A. (Plan G and Plan N are top choices for new members.)

  • Medicare Supplement Plan A sometimes has lower prices than higher-coverage options — but not always.

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Medigap Plan A is a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan that covers certain out-of-pocket expenses associated with Medicare Part A and Part B coverage.

Medigap Plan A includes only the basics for Medigap plans — the benefits that every Medigap plan covers.

Most Medicare beneficiaries opt for higher-coverage options like Plan G or Plan N — only about 1% choose Plan A

America's Health Insurance Plans. The State of Medicare Supplement Coverage. Accessed Mar 13, 2023.
. But if you don't want the added coverage, Plan A sometimes has lower premiums than other Medigap options.

Here's what you should know about Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan A.

Still deciding on the right carrier? Compare Medigap plans

What is Medicare Supplement Plan A?

Original Medicare beneficiaries can buy a Medigap plan to help pay for out-of-pocket costs like deductibles, copays and coinsurance. These plans aren’t available for Medicare Advantage members

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medigap & Medicare Advantage Plans. Accessed Mar 13, 2023.
.

There are 10 standardized Medigap plans available in most states (except Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin, which use different standards). The plans differ in terms of coverage for services, out-of-pocket limits and premium costs.

Medicare Supplement Plan A is the most basic of the standardized plans. It offers the benefits every Medicare Supplement Insurance plan has to cover, but nothing more.

What Medigap Plan A covers

Here’s what Medigap Plan A covers, according to Medicare.gov

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. How to Compare Medigap Policies. Accessed Mar 13, 2023.
:

  • Part A coinsurance and hospital costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are used up.

  • Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment.

  • Part B coinsurance or copayment.

  • Blood transfusion (first three pints).

What Medigap Plan A doesn’t cover

Here are the benefits Medigap Plan A doesn’t cover that are included in some other plans:

  • Part A deductible.

  • Part B excess charges (if a provider is permitted to charge more than Medicare’s approved amount and does so).

  • Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance.

  • Emergency care during travel outside the U.S.

Additionally, all Medigap plans, including Plan A, sold to new Medicare members don’t cover the following

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. What's Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)?. Accessed Mar 13, 2023.
:

  • Part B deductible (since 2020, new Medicare members can’t buy any plan that covers the Part B deductible, although existing members may own older plans that do).

  • Long-term care (like non-skilled care you get in a nursing home).

  • Private-duty nursing.

How much does Medigap Plan A cost?

Medicare Supplement Plan A is regulated by the federal government, but premiums are set by the private health insurance companies that sell the plan.

Medigap Plan A premiums for a 65-year-old nonsmoker range from $97 to $313 per month in Atlanta, which has average costs among major U.S. metro areas for the most popular Medigap plan types

Medicare.gov. Find a Medigap Policy that Works for You. Accessed Mar 13, 2023.
.

🤓Nerdy Tip

Plan A isn’t always the cheapest, even though it has basic benefits. Read your quotes carefully when you’re shopping for plans. Sometimes, Medigap pricing can be unintuitive; for example, you might even see a high-coverage plan such as Plan G with prices below Plan A.

To find out what Medigap Plan A would cost for you, visit Medicare.gov.

Buy Medigap Plan A during Medigap open enrollment

The easiest and least expensive time to enroll in a Medigap policy is during your Medigap open enrollment period.

This period happens only once. It starts once you’re 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B, and lasts for six months. (If you're still working after 65 and covered by a group employer plan that is deemed creditable coverage, your six-month period starts after you’ve ended active employment or no longer have that insurance.)

Medigap policies are cheapest and easiest to get during this open enrollment period because insurance companies aren’t allowed to factor your health or medical history into your price. After the period ends, the prices may go up or you may be denied coverage due to your health status or medical history.

In some states, insurance companies sell Medigap plans to those under 65 who are living with a disability and are eligible for Medicare. You can find more information through your State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP.

If you have questions about Medicare, visit Medicare.gov or call 800-633-4227 (TTY: 877-486-2048).

Compare alternative plans

Get details on Medicare Supplement Insurance options

Coverage

Medigap Plan

Basic benefits

Basics plus some extras

Highest coverage

Lower premiums, but higher copays

Lowest premiums — partial coverage

No longer for sale to new Medicare members

Still deciding on the right carrier? Compare Medigap plans

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