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Medicare Plan G is the broadest Medicare Supplement plan a new enrollee can buy, and its main trade-off is simple: you pay a higher monthly premium, and in return almost every Medicare cost-sharing bill disappears except the 2026 Part B deductible of $283 a year (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS). The honest downside is that a healthy person with few doctor visits may pay more in premiums than Plan N would cost them in small copays.
Plan G is a standardized Medigap policy that works alongside Original Medicare. Every carrier sells the same Plan G benefits; only the premium and the pricing method differ. This page weighs the pros and cons only. For the head-to-head with the closed Plan F, read our Medicare Plan F vs Plan G comparison instead of a summary here.
- Biggest pro: after the $283 Part B deductible, Plan G pays the Part A deductible of $1,736 per benefit period, hospital and skilled nursing coinsurance, and Part B coinsurance (CMS 2026 figures).
- Standout pro: Plan G covers Part B excess charges, which Plan N does not.
- Biggest con: the premium. Reported 2026 averages run about $166 a month at age 65 and about $267 at age 85 (MedicareSupplement.com averages).
- Shared con: no drug, dental, vision or hearing cover. Those need separate plans.
What are the main pros of Medicare Plan G?
The main pros of Plan G are predictability and excess charge protection. Once you pay the $283 annual Part B deductible, routine Medicare-approved care costs you close to nothing at the point of service, and a doctor who charges above the Medicare rate cannot pass the extra amount to you.
| Pro | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| One predictable gap | Your only Medicare cost-sharing bill is the $283 Part B deductible for 2026. After that, Plan G pays the rest of Medicare cost sharing. |
| Part A deductible covered | The $1,736 hospital deductible is per benefit period, not per year, so a second hospital stay in a year can trigger it again. Plan G pays it each time. |
| Excess charges covered | Doctors who do not accept Medicare assignment can charge up to 15% above the Medicare rate. Plan G pays that extra; Plan N leaves it with you. |
| Skilled nursing coinsurance covered | CMS sets skilled nursing coinsurance at $217 a day for days 21 to 100 in 2026. Plan G pays it in full. |
| Any Medicare doctor | Medigap has no network. Any provider who accepts Medicare accepts your Plan G, in any state. |
| Foreign travel emergency cover | Plan G pays 80% of emergency care abroad after a $250 deductible, up to a $50,000 lifetime limit (Medicare.gov standardized benefits). |
Predictability is the reason most buyers pick Plan G. A hospital stay that would leave an uncovered Medicare patient with the $1,736 deductible plus daily coinsurance leaves a Plan G member with no hospital bill at all. Our Medigap Plan G costs by age guide shows how the premium for that predictability rises at 75 and 85.
What are the main cons of Medicare Plan G?
The main cons of Plan G are price and scope. You pay the highest premium of any plan open to new enrollees, premiums rise with age under the common attained-age pricing method, and the plan still leaves drugs and routine dental, vision and hearing care to separate policies.
| Con | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Highest open premium | Plan G costs more per month than Plan N or high-deductible options. Reported averages are about $166 a month at 65 (MedicareSupplement.com). |
| Part B deductible stays with you | You pay the first $283 of Part B cost sharing each year in 2026. Plan F used to cover it, but Plan F closed to new enrollees on January 1, 2020 under MACRA. |
| No drug cover | Prescriptions need a separate Part D plan, with its own premium and deductible. |
| No dental, vision or hearing | Routine care in all three areas is outside Original Medicare and outside Plan G. |
| Switching later can require underwriting | Outside your Medigap Open Enrollment Period and guaranteed issue windows, a carrier can health-screen you. Buying the wrong plan first can be hard to undo. |
| Healthy users may overpay | If you see a doctor twice a year, Plan N copays of up to $20 per office visit and up to $50 per emergency visit can total far less than the Plan G premium gap. |
Is Plan G worth it if you are healthy?
Plan G is worth it for a healthy person who values a fixed monthly cost over the lowest possible cost, and harder to justify on math alone. Two or three office visits a year under Plan N would cost at most about $60 in copays, while Plan G can cost several hundred dollars a year more in premiums.
The counterpoint is that health at 66 does not guarantee health at 76, and moving up to Plan G later usually means medical underwriting outside protected windows. Some buyers pay the extra premium as the price of locking in the broader plan while they are guaranteed acceptance. Our direct comparison of Medigap Plan N vs Plan G costs runs the full year math for both patterns of use, and the Medigap cost comparison chart places Plan G premiums beside the other standardized plans.
How does Plan G handle Part B excess charges?
Plan G pays Part B excess charges in full. An excess charge is the extra amount, capped at 15% above the Medicare-approved rate, that a doctor who has not signed a Medicare assignment agreement can bill you. Plan N does not pay it, so the bill lands on you.
How much this matters depends on where you live and who you see. Most doctors accept assignment, and a few states, including New York and Pennsylvania, restrict excess charges by law. Specialists in large metro areas are the most common source. If your long-time specialist does not accept assignment, this single benefit can be the deciding factor between Plan G and Plan N, because one surgical episode with excess charges can exceed a year of premium difference.
Who should pick Plan G, and who should not?
Plan G fits people who use medical care regularly, want no surprise bills, see specialists who may not accept assignment, or travel abroad. It fits less well if you are on a tight monthly budget, rarely see a doctor, and would rather accept small copays under Plan N in exchange for a lower premium.
- Pick Plan G if you have ongoing treatment, a planned surgery, or chronic conditions with frequent visits.
- Pick Plan G if your doctors do not accept Medicare assignment and excess charges are a real risk.
- Consider Plan N if you are healthy, your doctors accept assignment, and the premium gap buys you little.
- Consider high-deductible Plan G only as a separate product. It has its own large deductible before benefits start, so do not compare its low premium with standard Plan G cover.
Key takeaways
Plan G trades the highest premium open to new Medicare enrollees for the most predictable costs: everything except the $283 Part B deductible in 2026, including the $1,736 per benefit period Part A deductible and Part B excess charges (CMS; Medicare.gov). The case against it is arithmetic for low users, who may pay more in premiums than Plan N copays would ever cost them. Decide on your likely use, your doctors, and whether you could pass underwriting later if you start smaller.
Frequently asked questions
Is Plan G worth it if I am healthy?
On pure math, often not in a given year. A healthy Plan N member pays up to $20 per office visit and up to $50 per emergency visit, which can total under $100 a year, while Plan G premiums run several hundred dollars higher. Plan G buys certainty and easier switching protection, not savings for low users.
How do Plan G and Plan N copays compare?
Plan N leaves you the Part B deductible plus copays of up to $20 for office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that do not lead to admission, and it does not cover excess charges. Plan G leaves you only the Part B deductible, $283 in 2026, and covers excess charges in full (Medicare.gov).
Does Plan G cover Part B excess charges?
Yes. Plan G pays excess charges in full. An excess charge is an extra bill of up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount from a doctor who does not accept Medicare assignment. Plan N, Plan K and Plan L do not cover excess charges, so their members pay those bills themselves.
What is the biggest downside of Medicare Plan G?
The premium. Plan G is the most expensive Medigap plan open to new enrollees, with reported 2026 averages near $166 a month at age 65 rising to about $267 at 85 (MedicareSupplement.com), and attained-age pricing raises it further as you age. You pay that premium in healthy years as well as sick ones.
What does Plan G not cover?
Plan G does not cover the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), prescription drugs, routine dental, vision or hearing care, or long-term custodial care. Drugs need a separate Part D plan. Foreign travel emergency care is covered at 80% after a $250 deductible, up to a $50,000 lifetime limit (Medicare.gov).
