Medicare Supplement Plan G: Coverage, Cost and Comparison
Medicare Supplement Plan G is the highest-coverage plan available for new Medicare members.
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Medigap Plan G is the most popular Medicare Supplement Insurance plan. Medicare Supplement Plan G covers certain expenses such as coinsurance, copayments and deductibles that aren't covered under Medicare Part A and Part B, also known as Original Medicare.
Medicare Supplement Plan G offers a lot of coverage, but it’s also one of the more expensive options.
Here’s what you need to know to decide whether Plan G is right for you.
Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan G is often called Medigap Plan G. You might also see it referred to as "Medicare Plan G," "Medicare G Plan" or even "Medicare Part G," even though those labels aren't quite accurate.
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What is Medicare Supplement Plan G?
Medicare Supplement Plan G covers “gaps” in Medicare coverage: the out-of-pocket costs left over after Medicare pays its portion of the bill. Plan G offers the most extensive coverage of any Medicare Supplement Insurance plan available to new Medicare members.
There are 10 standardized, letter-named Medigap plans in most states (except Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin, which have their own standards). The plans differ in terms of premiums, out-of-pocket limits and what they cover.
Plan G is essentially a replacement for Plan F for new Medicare members. Plan F and Plan C aren’t available for sale to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after Jan. 1, 2020, and to some people under age 65 (exceptions apply).
Medigap insurance is available only to Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Part A and Part B. It can’t be sold to Medicare Advantage members unless they’re switching back to Original Medicare.
Medicare Supplement Plan G pros and cons
Maximum coverage: Medicare Supplement Plan G benefits are the most comprehensive out of all Medigap plans available to new members.
Wide availability: Almost every insurance company selling Medicare Supplement Insurance policies offers Plan G.
Excess charge coverage: Unlike almost every other Medigap plan, Plan G covers Medicare Part B excess charges (if a provider is permitted to charge more than Medicare’s approved amount and does so).
Higher premiums: Because it has high coverage, Plan G also tends to have higher premiums.
Excess charges are rare: One of Plan G’s unique features is coverage for Part B excess charges, but these charges are rare — 98% of providers who accept Medicare can’t impose excess charges.
Plan D or Plan N might be a better fit: Medigap Plan D and Plan N can cost significantly less than Plan G for nearly the same benefits.
Medicare Supplement Plan G: Key facts
What Medigap Plan G covers
Medigap Plan G covers most of the deductibles, copays and coinsurance you would have to pay out-of-pocket on Original Medicare — excluding the Part B deductible, which is $257 in 2025. Medicare Supplement Plan G benefits also include some coverage for foreign travel emergencies.
Here’s what Medicare Supplement Plan G covers, according to Medicare.gov:
Medigap benefit | Plan G coverage |
|---|---|
Part A deductible | ✓ |
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 deductible | X |
Part B coinsurance or copayment | ✓ |
Part B excess charges (if a provider is permitted to charge more than Medicare’s approved amount and does so) | ✓ |
Blood transfusion (first three pints) | ✓ |
Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance | ✓ |
Foreign travel emergencies (Medically necessary emergency health care service for the first 60 days when traveling outside the U.S. Deductible and limitations apply.) | 80% |
Out-of-pocket limit | X |
Examples of Medigap Plan G coverage
If you’re hospitalized, inpatient costs can add up quickly without a Medigap plan. You’ll have to pay the Part A deductible of $1,676 in 2025 before Medicare covers any costs. You’ll also face daily copays if you’re hospitalized for more than 60 days.
For example, the cost for days 61 to 90 of an inpatient stay is $419 per day in 2025. Between this cost and the Part A deductible, a 90-day hospital stay could cost you $14,246 or more under Original Medicare without Medigap. With a Medigap Plan G policy, your cost could be $0. If your Plan G premiums were $250 per month, or $3,000 per year, you still stand to save $11,246 on this hospital stay.
Doctor visits and outpatient surgery aren’t fully covered by Original Medicare either. You’ll have to pay a Part B deductible of $257 in 2025. After that, Medicare covers 80% of approved outpatient services, and you’re on the hook for the remaining 20%. So you pay $200 for every $1,000 charge.
If you have Medigap Plan G, you don’t have to pay any remaining balance once you’ve paid the Part B deductible for the calendar year. This means you’ll spend a maximum of $257 per year out of pocket on Medicare-covered outpatient services.
What Medigap Plan G doesn't cover
Medicare Supplement Plan G offers the most coverage of any plan that new Medicare members can buy. However, there are benefits that even the most comprehensive Medigap plans don’t cover.
All Medigap plans, including Plan G, sold to new Medicare members generally don’t cover the following:
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).
Prescription drugs (that's Medicare Part D).
Long-term care (like non-skilled care you get in a nursing home).
Private-duty nursing.
Shopping for Medigap plans? We have you covered.
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How much does Medigap Plan G cost?
Prices vary according to age, location, tobacco use and other factors. Premiums for a 65-year-old female nonsmoker range from $129 to $405 per month in Atlanta, for example, which has average costs among major U.S. metro areas for the most popular Medigap plan types.
Premiums for Medicare Supplement Plan G are set by the private health insurance companies that sell it, even though the plans are regulated by the government.
Medicare Supplement Plan G benefits are standardized. This means the cheapest policy will offer the same coverage as the most expensive policy. Some people may choose a more expensive policy because the provider has better reviews or hasn’t increased their rates as much over the last few years.
Some states also offer a high-deductible Medigap Plan G, which provides the same benefits after a deductible of $2,870 in 2025 is paid. Monthly premiums for the same 65-year-old nonsmoker in Atlanta range from $44 to $88.
To find out the cost of Medigap Plan G in your area, visit Medicare.gov.
Buy Medigap Plan G during Medigap open enrollment
The best time to buy your Medicare Supplement Plan G policy is during the six-month 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.
Is Plan G the best Medicare Supplement Insurance plan?
Medicare Supplement Plan G vs. Plan N
The biggest difference between Plan G and Plan N is that Plan N covers a little less than Plan G, but it generally has lower premiums. Unlike Plan G, Plan N has copays for certain medical office and emergency department visits.
If you don’t expect to have a lot of those visits, Plan N might be the better deal for you. If you would have to pay those copays often, however, Plan G might end up less expensive. Medigap Plan G and Plan N are the two most popular Medicare Supplement Insurance plans available for new Medicare members.
Medicare Supplement Plan G vs. Plan F
The only major difference between Plan G and Plan F is that Plan F covers the Part B deductible and Plan G does not. However, Plan F can’t be sold to most new Medicare members.
Even for people who can buy Plan F, it might not be the best deal. If the additional cost for Plan F would add up to more than the Part B deductible — $257 in 2025 — over the course of the year, it’s more cost effective to stick with Plan G.
💬 From our Nerds: Is Medicare Supplement Plan G worth it?
"Medigap Plan G is often more expensive than other plan types because it covers such a wide range of benefits. Whether it's worth it to you depends on the specifics of prices available to you and the value you place on Plan G’s added coverage."
— Alex Rosenberg, lead writer covering Medicare
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