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Medigap Plan G is a standardized Medicare Supplement policy that pays nearly every cost Original Medicare leaves behind, with one named exception: the Medicare Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026. After you pay that deductible, Plan G covers the Part A hospital deductible of $1,736 per benefit period, hospital and skilled nursing coinsurance, Part B coinsurance and Part B excess charges in full. Every carrier Plan G has identical benefits. Only the premium and the pricing method differ between companies.
This guide is the reference version of Plan G on this site. It carries the full standardized benefit chart, how Medigap works alongside Original Medicare day to day, when and how to enrol, and the three ways carriers price the same policy. If you want the verdict version instead, covering whether the plan is worth its premium, read our Medicare Plan G pros and cons guide. The comparison with the older Plan F sits in our Medicare Plan F vs Plan G breakdown, and this guide links to it rather than repeating that comparison.
- Only standard gap Plan G leaves: the Part B deductible, $283 in 2026 (CMS).
- Part B premium in 2026: $202.90 a month standard rate (CMS), paid alongside any Medigap premium.
- Part A deductible covered by Plan G: $1,736 per benefit period in 2026 (CMS).
- Reported average Plan G premium: $165.85 a month at age 65 (MedicareSupplement.com).
What is Medigap Plan G?
Medigap Plan G is a Medicare Supplement insurance policy sold by private companies that works with Original Medicare Parts A and B. Medicare pays its share of a covered bill first. Plan G then pays most of your remaining share, including deductibles and coinsurance, apart from the annual Part B deductible. The plan is standardized by federal rules, so benefits are identical across carriers.
Plan G is the broadest Medigap plan open to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. Plan F covers the Part B deductible as well, and federal law closed Plan F to new enrollees from that date. Anyone shopping for a first supplement today compares Plan G against narrower letters such as Plan N. The standardized benefit chart below is the official shape of the plan, as summarised from the Medicare.gov Medigap benefits structure.
What does Plan G cover? The full benefit chart
Plan G covers every standardized Medigap benefit except the Part B deductible. It pays the Part A deductible, Part A coinsurance with 365 extra hospital days after Medicare days run out, skilled nursing coinsurance, hospice coinsurance, Part B coinsurance, Part B excess charges and the first three pints of blood. Foreign travel emergency care is covered at 80 percent after a $250 deductible, up to a $50,000 lifetime limit.
| Standardized benefit | Plan G cover |
|---|---|
| Part A coinsurance and hospital costs, plus 365 extra days after Medicare benefits are used | Covered |
| Part A deductible, $1,736 per benefit period in 2026 | Covered |
| Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment | Covered |
| Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance, $217 a day for days 21 to 100 in 2026 | Covered |
| Part B coinsurance, generally 20 percent of the Medicare approved amount | Covered |
| Part B excess charges | Covered |
| Part B deductible, $283 in 2026 | Not covered |
| Blood, first three pints | Covered |
| Foreign travel emergency care | 80 percent after a $250 deductible, $50,000 lifetime limit |
Benefit structure: Medicare.gov standardized Medigap benefits, as summarised at moneygeek.com. Deductible and coinsurance amounts are the CMS figures for 2026, reported by the American Hospital Association at aha.org. A benefit period for Part A starts when you enter a hospital and ends after you have been out of hospital and skilled nursing care for 60 days in a row, which is why the Part A deductible can be owed more than once in a single year.
How does Medigap work with Original Medicare?
You keep Original Medicare as your main cover and show both cards when you get care. The provider bills Medicare first. Medicare pays its share and sends the claim detail to your Medigap carrier, often automatically through the crossover system. The carrier then pays its share under the Plan G chart, and you receive statements from both sides showing what remains, which is usually only the Part B deductible early in the year.
Three practical points follow from that flow. First, Plan G has no network of its own. Any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare works with the plan, in any state. Second, Medigap pays only when Medicare covers the service. A service Medicare excludes stays excluded, however broad the supplement is. Third, you pay three separate premiums in this setup: Part B at $202.90 a month in 2026 for most people, your Plan G premium to the carrier, and a Part D premium if you add drug cover. Our Medigap cost comparison chart prices the other plan letters against this one.
What does Plan G not cover?
Plan G does not cover the Part B deductible of $283 in 2026, prescription drugs, routine dental, vision or hearing care, private duty nursing, or long term custodial care such as help with bathing and dressing in a nursing home. Drug cover needs a separate Part D plan. Dental, vision and hearing needs are handled by separate policies or paid directly, since Original Medicare excludes most of that care too.
New buyers also meet a variant with a similar name. High Deductible Plan G carries the same benefit chart and makes you pay a separate high deductible before its benefits start, in exchange for a much lower premium. It is a different policy with different math. Quotes for it should never be compared line by line with standard Plan G quotes, and the premium gap between the two explains most too cheap Plan G offers.
How much does Medigap Plan G cost?
Reported 2026 averages put Plan G at $165.85 a month at age 65, rising to $266.87 a month at age 85, according to MedicareSupplement.com averages. Your own premium depends on your state, ZIP code, sex, tobacco use, household discounts and the pricing method the carrier uses. Keep cost in summary terms here, and compare at least three carriers for the same letter before you buy, since the benefits cannot differ.
| Age | Reported average Plan G premium |
|---|---|
| 65 | $165.85 a month |
| 75 | $205.12 a month |
| 85 | $266.87 a month |
Source: MedicareSupplement.com, average Medicare Supplement cost by age, 2026. An average is a midpoint across thousands of unlike quotes. In community rated states a 65 year old can pay more than the table and an 85 year old less in relative terms. In attained age states the climb is steeper. The pricing method section below is the part of a quote that decides which pattern you get.
When and how can you enrol in Plan G?
Your best window is the Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It runs for six months and starts when you are 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. During that window a carrier must sell you any Medigap policy it offers, cannot deny you for health reasons and cannot charge you more because of a health condition. Most people enrol in the month they start Part B, often alongside retirement.
Outside that window, federal protection narrows. Guaranteed issue rights apply in set situations, such as losing employer group cover that pays after Medicare, a Medigap carrier failing, or certain moves and plan withdrawals. In those cases a carrier must sell you a policy from a defined list without health screening. Without a protected window or a guaranteed issue right, most states let carriers use medical underwriting, and an application can be priced up or declined. A small number of states add their own wider switching rights, so check your state insurance department rules before you assume you are locked in.
Why do Plan G premiums differ if the benefits are identical?
Carriers price the identical Plan G chart with three rating methods. Community rated pricing charges everyone in an area the same premium regardless of age. Issue age pricing sets the premium by your age at purchase. Attained age pricing starts lower and rises as you age. Method, state rules and company pricing explain why two neighbours pay different amounts for the same plan.
| Pricing method | How the premium is set | How it behaves over time |
|---|---|---|
| Community rated | Same premium for all ages in the rating area | Higher at 65 than attained age rivals, rises mainly with general rate increases |
| Issue age rated | Based on your age when you buy | Buying at 65 locks the age factor, later general increases still apply |
| Attained age rated | Based on your current age | Starts lowest for many buyers at 65, rises at set ages on top of general increases |
All three methods can still raise premiums over time when a carrier files a general increase for its book of business. The method decides whether your age adds a second, automatic rise on top. When you compare quotes, ask for the method in writing, ask how the carrier priced the same plan for an 80 year old today, and weigh the ten year cost rather than the first year premium alone.
Frequently asked questions
What does Plan G not cover?
Plan G does not cover the Medicare Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026, and it does not cover prescription drugs, routine dental, vision or hearing care, or long term custodial care. Drugs need a separate Part D plan. It covers every other standardized Medigap gap, including Part B excess charges and the Part A deductible of $1,736 per benefit period.
When can I enrol in Plan G without medical underwriting?
During your Medigap Open Enrollment Period, the six months that start when you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. In that window carriers must accept you and cannot charge more for health conditions. Guaranteed issue rights also protect you in set situations outside the window, such as losing employer cover that paid after Medicare.
Why do Plan G premiums differ if the benefits are identical?
Plan G benefits are standardized, so the chart is the same at every carrier. Premiums differ because carriers use three pricing methods, community rated, issue age rated and attained age rated, and because state rules, ZIP code, sex, tobacco use and discounts differ. Price is the only real variable, which is why comparing several carriers pays.
Is High Deductible Plan G the same plan as Plan G?
No. High Deductible Plan G has the same benefit chart and requires you to pay a separate high deductible before its benefits begin, in exchange for a much lower monthly premium. Standard Plan G starts paying its shares once you have met the $283 Part B deductible for the year. Quotes for the two versions should never be compared as if they were one product.
Does Plan G cover Part B excess charges?
Yes. Plan G pays Part B excess charges in full. An excess charge is an extra amount, up to 15 percent above the Medicare approved rate, billed by a doctor who does not accept Medicare assignment. Cover for excess charges is one of the benefits that separate Plan G from Plan N, which leaves those charges with the patient.
