Plan G and Plan N are the two Medigap plans most new buyers compare in 2026. Plan G covers more. Plan N costs less each month but adds a few copays. Picking the right one is really a math question, not a coverage question. Here is how to run the numbers so you save money without giving up protection you need.
What is Medigap, and why does it come down to Plan G vs Plan N?
Medicare Supplement Insurance, called Medigap, is a private policy that pays many of the costs Original Medicare leaves to you. It works alongside Part A and Part B. You still pay a monthly premium, but your share of each bill gets smaller and more predictable.
One quick note. Medigap works with Original Medicare. It does not work with a Medicare Advantage plan. So this whole comparison assumes you are staying with Original Medicare and adding a supplement on top.
In most states, Medigap is standardized by the federal government. That means a Plan G from one company covers the same core benefits as a Plan G from another (Medicare & You 2026, page 76). The price can change from company to company. The coverage does not.
Three states set their own rules: Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. If you live in one of those, the plan names work a little differently, so check the local version (Medicare & You 2026, page 76).
For years, Plan F covered the most. But you cannot buy Plan C or Plan F if you were new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 (Medicare & You 2026, page 76). That rule pushed Plan G to the front for new enrollees.
So for many new Medigap buyers, Plan G and Plan N are the two plans worth comparing. Plan G is the higher-coverage option. Plan N has a lower premium with a few pieces of cost-sharing.
This is not a one-year decision either. You may hold this plan for 20 or 30 years, and both the premium gap and the coverage gap add up over that time. So it is worth a few minutes to get right. Let’s compare them the way the math actually works.
What do Plan G and Plan N cover the same way?
Before the differences, look at how much these two plans share. On the big hospital costs, they are identical.
Both pay your Part A hospital coinsurance, and both add up to 365 extra days of hospital coverage after your Medicare days are used (Medicare & You 2026, page 76). Both pay the Part A deductible, which is $1,736 for each benefit period in 2026 (Medicare & You 2026).
A benefit period is worth understanding, because it is not once a year. It starts the day you go into the hospital and ends after you have been out for 60 days in a row. So you can have more than one in a single year, and both plans cover that deductible each time.
Both plans also cover skilled nursing facility coinsurance, Part A hospice cost-sharing, and the first three pints of blood. Both cover foreign travel emergency care at 80%, up to the plan limits, which helps if you travel abroad (Medicare & You 2026, page 76).
Here is a detail that trips people up. Neither Plan G nor Plan N covers the Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026, for anyone new to Medicare since 2020 (Medicare & You 2026). So that cost is the same with either plan. It is not a reason to pick one over the other.
The takeaway is simple. These two plans line up on almost everything that involves a hospital. The decision lives in two specific gaps on the doctor side. Those gaps are next.
Need Medicare Help? Get FREE personalized guidance from our trusted partner Chapter — they represent all major plans and will help you find the one that’s right for YOU.
-Call Now: 440-703-1224 or click https://hlyshm.it/Chapter to get a complete Medicare plan review
Difference 1: Plan N’s copays
Here is the first real difference. Plan N covers your Part B coinsurance, which is the 20% Medicare normally leaves to you, except for two copays: up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for an emergency room visit that does not lead to being admitted (Medicare & You 2026, page 76). Plan G has neither copay.
How much this matters depends on how often you see a doctor. The copay is capped at $20, so it is a small, fixed amount per visit, not a percentage of the bill.
Think about a year of care. Say Linda sees her doctor six times. That is about $120 in copays. Now say her neighbor Frank manages a chronic condition and sees specialists 20 times. That is closer to $400. A Plan G holder pays none of that.
It is also worth knowing that the copay can apply at the doctor’s office but not always at other settings, and some visits will not carry one at all. The wording is “up to” $20, so the exact amount can vary by visit. The simple way to plan is to assume $20 for routine office visits and budget from your own history.
The emergency room copay is smaller in practice. It is up to $50, and it is waived if you end up admitted to the hospital (Medicare & You 2026, page 76). So it tends to hit only on the trips that turn out to be less serious.
None of this makes Plan N a poor deal. The copays are the price you pay for a lower monthly premium. The real question is whether your visit count keeps those copays well below what you save. We will do that math shortly.
This is also the point where many people realize how many moving parts a Medigap choice really has. The plans look similar on a chart, but the right answer depends on your own health history, where you live, and how you use care. This is exactly the kind of decision where an hour with an unbiased Medicare advisor, someone who is not paid to push one company, can save you years of paying for the wrong fit. There is no shame in getting a second set of eyes on a 30-year commitment.
Difference 2: Part B excess charges
The second difference is the one that is easiest to overlook, and it can matter more than the copays. Plan G covers Part B excess charges. Plan N does not (Medicare & You 2026, page 76).
So what is an excess charge? When a doctor “accepts assignment,” they agree to take Medicare’s approved amount as full payment. Most doctors do. But a provider who does not accept assignment can bill you up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount (Medicare & You 2026, page 56). Medicare calls this the limiting charge. That extra 15% is the excess charge.
With Plan G, the plan picks up that charge. With Plan N, it lands on you. On a single large bill, 15% can add up to real money.
Put a number on it. Say a procedure has a Medicare-approved amount of $2,000, and the provider does not accept assignment. The excess charge could be up to $300 on that one bill. A Plan G holder pays nothing extra. A Plan N holder pays the $300. A few of those in a year can outweigh the premium you saved.
Now the part that changes the answer. Eight states do not allow Part B excess charges at all: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. If you live in one of those, this gap is close to a non-issue, and Plan N looks stronger for you. State rules can change, so confirm the current rule with your own state insurance department.
There is a catch with those eight states, though. The protection follows the state, not you. If you live in New York but get care while visiting a state that does allow excess charges, you could still owe them on a Plan N. So if you travel often or have a second home elsewhere, the protection may matter even if your home state bans the charges.
If you live where excess charges are allowed, size up your risk. You can ask a provider’s office directly whether they accept Medicare assignment, and you can check on Medicare’s own provider tool at Medicare.gov. Most doctors accept assignment, so excess charges are not common. But if you see specialists who do not, Plan G’s protection is worth a closer look.
The breakeven math: how to decide between Plan G and Plan N
This is a math decision more than a coverage decision, so let’s put numbers on it. Plan N’s whole appeal is the lower monthly premium. The question is whether that saving beats your copays and any excess-charge risk.
Let’s use round numbers as an example. These are not quotes, and your real rates depend on your age, your location, and the insurer. Say Plan G costs $170 a month and Plan N costs $135.
That is $35 saved each month, or $420 over the year. Against that $420, subtract your expected copays. With 10 office visits at $20, that is $200. You are still about $220 ahead with Plan N for the year, as long as excess charges stay out of the picture.
Now add an excess-charge scenario. If a couple of your specialists do not accept assignment, those 15% add-ons can eat the $220 edge and then some. In a state that bans excess charges, that risk is off the table.
So the decision turns on three of your own numbers:
- Your premium gap. Get a real quote for Plan G and Plan N from the same company. The monthly difference is your starting savings.
- Your visit count. Look at last year. Multiply your routine office visits by $20. That is your expected copay cost on Plan N.
- Your excess-charge risk. Check whether your state bans excess charges, and whether your regular doctors accept assignment. Low risk tilts toward Plan N. Higher risk tilts toward Plan G.
If your savings clearly beat your copays and your excess-charge risk is low, Plan N tends to win. If you see doctors often, live where excess charges are allowed, or simply want one predictable bill with almost nothing to track, Plan G tends to win.
A simple way to picture the two profiles
Here are two readers who land in different places, using the same logic.
Say Margaret is 66, healthy, and lives in Pennsylvania, one of the eight states that ban excess charges. She sees her doctor maybe four times a year. Her excess-charge risk is low, her copays would be small, and her premium savings on Plan N are real every month. Plan N fits her well.
Now say Robert is 70, lives in a state that allows excess charges, and sees three specialists for an ongoing condition. His copays would stack up, and at least one of his specialists does not accept assignment. For Robert, Plan G’s broader coverage removes a lot of uncertainty, and the higher premium buys him a quieter set of bills.
Neither plan is “better.” They fit different lives. The chart looks almost the same, but your own numbers break the tie.
When it pays to get help
A Medigap choice is one of the few retirement decisions that is hard to undo. After your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older, an insurer can require medical underwriting to switch plans (Medicare & You 2026, page 77). That means a health condition could keep you from moving to a more complete plan later, or make it cost more.
That is the real reason to slow down now. The premium quotes, the state rules, the assignment question, and your own health history all feed into one answer, and the answer is different for different people. Comparing official plan benefits and prices for your area at Medicare.gov is a solid first step. If the trade-offs still feel cloudy, sitting down with an unbiased advisor who can model your specific situation often pays for itself, because the cost of picking the wrong plan compounds for as long as you hold it.
The single takeaway
Do not pick Plan G or Plan N off a benefits chart. They match on the big hospital costs. They split on two things: Plan N’s office and ER copays, and Plan G’s coverage of Part B excess charges. Run your three numbers, your premium gap, your yearly visit count, and your excess-charge risk, and the right plan will usually be obvious. When it is not, get a real quote and, if needed, an unbiased opinion before you commit.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not personalized financial, tax, legal, or medical advice. Medicare rules and dollar figures change, and your own situation may differ. Confirm current rules and your specific options with Medicare.gov, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), your state insurance department, or a qualified professional before you decide.
Note Chapter is an affiliate relationship of Holy Schmidt!. This means if you purchase a product or use their service, we earn a small commission. This does not increase your cost.
Chapter Advisory, LLC (“Chapter”) is a private health insurance agency. In California, Chapter does business as Chapter Insurance Services (Lic. No. 6003691). Chapter is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government entity. While Chapter has a database of every Medicare plan option nationwide and can help you to search among all options, it has contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, Chapter does not offer every plan available in your area. Currently, Chapter represents 50 organizations which offer 18,601 products nationwide. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Enrollment in a plan may be limited to certain times of the year unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period or you are in your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period.
Average potential savings are based on realized premium, co-pay, and out of pocket savings estimates self-reported by consumers that worked with Chapter Advisory LLC to enroll in a Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage, and/or Part D Prescription Drug Plan. The average is limited to consumers that chose to self-report. Savings information is subject to periodic updates and corrections. There is no guarantee of savings and any savings may vary by policy type, state, or other factors.
Add comment