Frank Thompson
Your neighbor just had a three-day hospital stay and paid almost nothing out of pocket. No surprise bills. No stressful phone calls with the insurance company afterward. She shrugs and says, “I have Plan G.”
If you keep hearing that name while shopping for Medicare coverage, you’re in the right place. Medicare Supplement Plan G is one of the most popular Medigap policies sold in the United States right now, and there’s a real reason for that. Here’s exactly what it covers, what it costs, and whether it makes sense for your situation.
What Medicare Supplement Insurance Actually Does
Before diving into Plan G, understand the problem it’s solving.
Original Medicare (Part A for hospital insurance and Part B for medical insurance) is genuinely good coverage. But it wasn’t designed to pay 100 percent of your bills. There are deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance amounts that land squarely in your lap. Part A has a per-benefit-period deductible that resets every time you’re admitted to the hospital for a new illness. Part B generally requires you to pay 20 percent of covered services, with no annual out-of-pocket cap.
That 20 percent adds up fast. A single MRI, a specialist visit, an outpatient surgery, suddenly you’re looking at hundreds or even thousands of dollars in coinsurance with no ceiling in sight.
Medicare Supplement plans, also called Medigap plans, are private insurance policies that fill those gaps. They don’t replace Medicare. They work alongside it. When Medicare pays its share, your Medigap plan pays some or all of the remainder, depending on which plan you choose. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services standardizes these plans, which means a Plan G sold by Company A and a Plan G sold by Company B cover the exact same benefits. The only real difference between companies is the premium and customer service.
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What Plan G Covers
Plan G is nearly complete coverage. Here’s what it picks up after Medicare pays its portion:
- Part A hospital coinsurance and hospital costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are exhausted
- Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayments
- Part A deductible (currently over $1,600 per benefit period in 2024)
- Part B coinsurance or copayment, that 20 percent mentioned above
- Part B excess charges, amounts a non-participating provider can charge above Medicare’s approved amount
- Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance
- Foreign travel emergency care (up to plan limits, typically 80 percent after a small deductible, with a lifetime maximum)
- Blood (first 3 pints)
The only gap Plan G leaves is the Part B deductible. In 2024 that’s $240 for the year. You pay it once annually, and after that, Plan G covers virtually everything Medicare approves.
Think about what that means practically. You visit your cardiologist. You have an outpatient procedure. You see a physical therapist twice a week for two months. After you’ve met that $240 Part B deductible at the start of the year, your out-of-pocket cost for all of those Medicare-covered services is essentially zero.
Plan G vs. Plan F: The Comparison People Ask About Most
Best Medicare Supplement Plans - What’s Changed for 2026 · Medicare Specialist - Abt Insurance Agency on YouTube
You’ve probably seen Plan F mentioned alongside Plan G. Plan F used to be the gold standard, the plan that covered everything including the Part B deductible. Congress passed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, which eliminated the sale of first-dollar coverage plans to new Medicare enrollees starting January 1, 2020.
If you became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, you simply can’t buy Plan F. Plan G is now the most comprehensive option available to you.
Here’s the difference:
| Benefit | Plan F | Plan G |
|---|---|---|
| Part A deductible | Covered | Covered |
| Part A coinsurance | Covered | Covered |
| Part B deductible | Covered | NOT covered |
| Part B coinsurance | Covered | Covered |
| Part B excess charges | Covered | Covered |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance | Covered | Covered |
| Foreign travel emergency | Covered | Covered |
That $240 annual Part B deductible is the only difference. In most markets, Plan G premiums run noticeably lower than Plan F premiums because fewer claims are processed. The math almost always favors Plan G when you add up the annual premium difference plus the Part B deductible and compare it to Plan F costs. Always run the numbers for your specific zip code, though, because premiums vary by location, age, and insurance company.
How Much Does Plan G Cost?
| Factor | Impact on Premium |
|---|---|
| Age | Increases with attained-age pricing; locked with issue-age pricing; same for all with community rating |
| Location | Varies significantly by state, region, and local healthcare costs |
| Insurance Company | Same Plan G can vary by hundreds of dollars annually between carriers |
| Tobacco Use | Most states allow higher charges for smokers |
| Gender | Women typically pay slightly lower premiums than men in most states |
There’s no single answer. Premiums depend on several factors.
Age. Most carriers use attained-age pricing, meaning your premium increases as you get older. Some use issue-age pricing, which locks your rate based on your age when you first enroll. A few use community rating, charging everyone the same regardless of age. Community-rated and issue-age policies often start higher but can be a better long-term deal.
Where you live. Plan G in rural Iowa costs less than the same plan in Miami or Manhattan. State regulations, local healthcare costs, and competition among insurers all play a role.
The insurance company. Because benefits are standardized, insurers compete on price and service. Premiums for the same Plan G can vary by hundreds of dollars a year between companies in the same zip code.
Tobacco use. Most states allow insurers to charge smokers more.
Gender. In most states, women pay slightly lower premiums than men.
For a 65-year-old non-smoker in 2024, ballpark ranges generally run anywhere from around $100 to $200 or more per month. Don’t treat that as a guarantee. Use Medicare.gov to compare actual plans and premiums in your area. It’s free, it’s official, and the data is current.
There’s also a High-Deductible Plan G option. You pay a higher deductible (currently $2,800 in 2024) before Plan G benefits kick in. The trade-off is a substantially lower monthly premium. This works well for relatively healthy people who want catastrophic protection without paying for coverage they rarely use.
When to Enroll: Timing Is Everything
This trips people up most often. Medigap has an Open Enrollment Period, and missing it can be costly.
Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period starts the first month you are both 65 or older AND enrolled in Medicare Part B. It lasts exactly six months. During this window, insurers cannot deny you coverage, charge you more because of health conditions, or make you wait for pre-existing conditions to be covered. You have guaranteed issue rights.
After that window closes, insurers in most states can use medical underwriting. That means they can ask about your health history, charge more based on conditions you have, or deny your application outright. Heart disease, diabetes, COPD, prior cancer treatment, all of those can affect your ability to get Plan G at a favorable rate or at all.
I’ve seen people wait a year after turning 65 to sign up for Part B because they were still working, then discover their employer coverage ended in a way that didn’t trigger a Special Enrollment Period for guaranteed-issue Medigap protections. The result was either a higher premium or a denial. Timing this correctly, especially if you’re retiring later, requires careful planning. A licensed Medicare counselor or a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor can help you map out your specific situation at no cost.
Is Plan G Right for You?
Plan G isn’t the right choice for every single person.
If you’re healthy, rarely use medical care, and prefer lower predictable monthly costs, a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) might suit you better, at least in certain markets. Medicare Advantage plans often have lower premiums and include extras like dental and vision, though they typically involve networks, referrals, and higher out-of-pocket costs when you get sick.
Plan G tends to shine for people who see specialists regularly or have ongoing health conditions. You want freedom to see any doctor who accepts Medicare without network restrictions. You travel frequently or split time between states. You’ve had expensive medical years in the past and want predictable costs going forward. You value simplicity and hate paperwork.
If predictability and freedom matter to you, Plan G is hard to beat. You pay your premium, you meet the $240 Part B deductible once a year, and then you’re done. No surprise bills. No checking whether a specialist is in-network. No annual out-of-pocket maximum to worry about hitting.
Plan G isn’t magic, and no insurance policy is. But for the right person, especially someone who values financial predictability and freedom of choice, it comes very close to being the most stress-free way to cover what Original Medicare leaves behind. If you’re approaching 65 or just beginning to sort through your options, your smartest next step is comparing real quotes for your zip code, talking to a SHIP counselor or licensed broker, and mapping out when your enrollment window opens. A little planning now saves a great deal of worry later.
This article is for informational purposes only. Medicare rules change annually. Always verify current plan details at Medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). This site does not sell insurance or recommend specific plans.
Sources
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Withings Body+ Smart Scale with BMI and Body Composition
- Medicare.gov
- Life Alert Style Medical Alert Button for Seniors
- AUVON Weekly Pill Organizer with AM/PM Compartments
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products that genuinely support the topics covered in this article.
- Medicare For Dummies (~$22), The definitive consumer guide to Medicare, enrollment windows, Part A/B/C/D, and supplement plans.
- Get What’s Yours for Medicare (~$17), Maximize your Medicare benefits and minimize out-of-pocket costs. Covers Part D drug coverage gaps and Medigap in depth.
Recommended Resources
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products that genuinely support the topics covered in this article.
- Medicare For Dummies (~$22), The definitive consumer guide to Medicare, enrollment windows, Part A/B/C/D, and supplement plans.
- Get What’s Yours for Medicare (~$17), Maximize your Medicare benefits and minimize out-of-pocket costs. Covers Part D drug coverage gaps and Medigap in depth.
