Medigap Plan G vs. Plan N: Which One Fits You?

Key takeaways

• Medigap Plan G vs. Plan N comes down to one trade-off: Plan G covers more of your costs, while Plan N leaves you some copays and doesn't cover Part B excess charges.
• Neither plan covers the Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026.
• Plans with the same letter have the same benefits from every company. Price is the only difference, so it pays to compare.

When people compare Medigap Plan G vs. Plan N, they're usually choosing between two of the plans open to anyone new to Medicare today. Both work alongside Original Medicare (Parts A and B). Both let you see any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare. The difference is how much you pay out of pocket when you get care.

What Medigap Plan G and Plan N both cover

Medigap plans are standardized by law. A Plan G from one company has the same basic benefits as a Plan G from any other company. The same is true for Plan N. (Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin standardize their plans in a different way.)

According to Medicare.gov, both Plan G and Plan N pay 100% of:

• Part A coinsurance and hospital costs, up to an extra 365 days after Medicare benefits are used up
• Part A deductible
• Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayments
• Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance
• The first 3 pints of blood

Both plans also cover 80% of foreign travel emergency care, up to plan limits.

Where Plan G vs. Plan N differ

There are three key differences.

The Part B deductible

Neither plan covers the Part B deductible. In 2026 it's $283 a year. You pay that amount first, and then the plan starts paying its share of Part B costs.

Only Plans C and F cover the Part B deductible. If you first became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, you can't buy Plan C or Plan F. Medicare.gov notes that Plan G gives you the same benefits as Plan F except for the Part B deductible.

Plan N copays

Plan N pays 100% of your Part B coinsurance, but you may pay a copay of up to $20 for some office visits. You may also pay up to $50 for an emergency room visit when you aren't admitted as an inpatient.

If you see the doctor only a few times a year, those copays may add up to very little. If you see specialists often, they can add up.

Part B excess charges

Not every provider accepts Medicare's approved amount as full payment. A provider who doesn't accept that amount as full payment can charge you more than the Medicare-approved amount. In many cases, that extra charge can't be more than 15% above the approved amount. Medicare calls this the "limiting charge."

Plan G covers these excess charges. Plan N does not. If you use a provider who charges them, you'd pay the difference yourself with Plan N.

Plan G vs. Plan N: the cost side

Because Plan N leaves more costs to you, the question is whether its premium is low enough to make up for those costs. There's no single answer. Premiums depend on the company, where you live and other factors.

Here's a simple way to compare:

1. Get Plan G and Plan N quotes from the same few companies in your ZIP code.
2. Find the yearly premium difference between them.
3. Estimate your Plan N copays for a typical year: how many office visits and ER trips you expect.
4. Ask your doctors whether they accept Medicare's approved amount as full payment. If they do, excess charges are less of a concern.

If the yearly savings on Plan N's premium is larger than the copays you expect, Plan N may make sense. If it's close, many people prefer Plan G for its simpler, more predictable costs.

Some states also offer a high-deductible version of Plan G. With it, you pay up to $2,950 in 2026 for Medicare-covered costs before the policy pays anything.

Who Plan G tends to fit

• You want the most predictable costs and don't want copays at the doctor's office.
• You see doctors or specialists often.
• You aren't sure whether your doctors accept Medicare's approved amount as full payment.
• You travel and may see providers you don't know.

Who Plan N tends to fit

• You're in fairly good health and see the doctor only a few times a year.
• Your doctors accept Medicare's approved amount as full payment.
• You're comfortable paying small copays in exchange for a lower premium, if the quotes in your area show one.

When to choose: your Medigap Open Enrollment Period

Timing matters as much as the plan letter. Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is the 6-month window that starts the first day of the month you're 65 or older and signed up for Part B. During this time you can buy any Medigap policy sold in your state, and the insurer can't turn you down or charge you more because of health problems.

After that window ends, federal law no longer requires an insurer to sell you a policy. If one does, it may cost more because of past or present health problems. That makes it harder to move from Plan N to Plan G later if your health changes. Some states offer extra rights, so check your state's rules.

Medigap also doesn't include drug coverage, so most people pair either plan with a Part D drug plan. Learn more about how the pieces fit on our Medicare parts page.

The bottom line

Plan G and Plan N cover the big costs the same way. Plan G leaves you only the Part B deductible. Plan N also leaves you some copays and any excess charges, so it only makes sense if its premium is low enough to offset them. The right choice depends on your doctors, how often you get care and the quotes in your area.

A licensed agent can pull Plan G and Plan N quotes side by side for your ZIP code. Start on our Medicare page.