Medicare Supplement · Plan G
Medigap Plan G in 2026-2027: The Plan That Covers Almost Everything
Medigap Plan G is the most popular Medicare Supplement choice for people who are new to Medicare, and the reason is simple: it fills nearly every cost gap that Original Medicare leaves open. In 2026, once you pay the $283 annual Part B deductible, Plan G pays your share of every Medicare-approved hospital and doctor bill. There are no networks, no referrals, and no copays for covered services.
Written by the licensed advisor team at Pinnacle Insurance Advisors · Last updated July 29, 2026
Those gaps are larger than many people expect. Original Medicare alone leaves you with a $1,736 Part A deductible for each hospital benefit period, $434 per day for hospital days 61 to 90, $217 per day for skilled nursing facility days 21 to 100, and 20 percent of Part B costs with no annual out-of-pocket cap at all. Plan G covers every one of those amounts, which turns an open-ended risk into a single, known deductible each year.
Plan G earned its reputation as the gold standard after Plan F closed to anyone who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. For new enrollees today, Plan G is the most complete Medicare Supplement plan you can buy, and the only routine cost it leaves on your side of the table is that one Part B deductible.
Plan G fits you if…
- You are new to Medicare and want the most complete supplement coverage available to you
- You want predictable costs: one known deductible instead of open-ended 20 percent coinsurance
- You see doctors or specialists often and prefer no copays for covered visits
- You want to use any doctor or hospital nationwide that accepts Medicare, with no networks or referrals
What Plan G Covers
| Benefit | Plan G ★ | Plan N | Plan F | HD Plan G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A coinsurance and hospital costs (up to 365 extra days after Medicare benefits are used) | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% after $2,950 deductible (2026) |
| Part B coinsurance or copayment | 100% | 100% after copays up to $20 office / $50 ER | 100% | 100% after $2,950 deductible (2026) |
| Blood (first 3 pints) | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% after $2,950 deductible (2026) |
| Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% after $2,950 deductible (2026) |
| Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% after $2,950 deductible (2026) |
| Part A deductible | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% after $2,950 deductible (2026) |
| Part B deductible | Not covered | Not covered | 100% | Not covered |
| Part B excess charges | 100% | Not covered | 100% | 100% after $2,950 deductible (2026) |
| Foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits) | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% after $2,950 deductible (2026) |
| Out-of-pocket limit | None | None | None | None |
Plan F (including high-deductible Plan F) can only be sold to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Someone newly eligible today cannot buy Plan F, so this column is for comparison and for people who qualified before that date. High-Deductible Plan G covers the same benefits as Plan G, but you pay all Medicare-covered coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles yourself until you reach the plan deductible of $2,950 in 2026; after that the plan pays as shown. Plan N pays the Part B coinsurance in full except a copay of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that do not end in an inpatient admission. No standardized Medigap plan sold to newly eligible people covers the Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026. Medicare.gov shows the out-of-pocket limit as N/A for Plans F, G, and N, meaning these plans have no annual out-of-pocket cap of their own; Plans K and L are the only standardized plans with one. All dollar figures are the 2026 amounts from medicare.gov; CMS announces final 2027 figures in late September 2026. Foreign travel emergency coverage is 80% up to plan limits (per CMS publications, after a $250 deductible and up to a $50,000 lifetime maximum, for care during the first 60 days of a trip).
Plan G: Pros & Cons
Why people pick it
- After the $283 Part B deductible, Plan G pays your share of Medicare-approved costs in full, including the 20 percent Part B coinsurance that has no cap under Original Medicare alone
- Covers the $1,736 Part A hospital deductible per benefit period, plus hospital coinsurance of $434 per day for days 61 to 90 and skilled nursing coinsurance of $217 per day for days 21 to 100
- Covers Part B excess charges, which Plan N does not
- No networks or referrals: use any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare
- Benefits are federally standardized, so every carrier's Plan G is identical and you can shop on price alone
- Includes emergency coverage when you travel outside the United States
The trade-offs
- Monthly premiums are usually higher than Plan N or High Deductible Plan G
- You still pay the $283 Part B deductible yourself each year
- No prescription drug coverage, so you will also need a separate Part D plan
- Like all Medigap plans, it does not cover routine dental, vision, hearing, or long term care
- Switching carriers or plans later usually requires medical underwriting once your one-time open enrollment window has passed
What Plan G Costs
Because Medigap plans with the same letter are federally standardized, every Plan G covers exactly the same benefits no matter which insurance company sells it. That changes how you should shop: the coverage question is already settled, so the real decision is the rate. Premiums for the identical Plan G can differ meaningfully from one carrier to the next, and your price also depends on your age, your county, and in some cases tobacco use and household discounts. Comparing several carriers before you enroll, and looking at each company's history of rate increases, matters far more than any brand name on the card.
Timing matters just as much as the rate. During your one-time Medigap open enrollment window, which begins when you first enroll in Part B, carriers must accept you and cannot charge you more because of your health. Outside that window, switching plans usually requires medical underwriting, meaning the carrier can review your health history and may decline coverage or charge more. Keep in mind that the Part B deductible resets each calendar year, and CMS announces final 2027 figures in late September 2026. If you would like help comparing Plan G rates in your county, the licensed advisors at Pinnacle Insurance Advisors offer free, no-obligation guidance at 1-877-826-0053.
One call compares every carrier's Plan G rate in your county. Free, and the premium is the same either way.
Plan G questions, answered
Plan G covers nearly every gap in Original Medicare except the Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026. Like every Medigap plan, it also excludes prescription drugs, routine dental, vision, and hearing care, and long term care. Most people pair Plan G with a separate Part D drug plan.
Compare related plans
Among the four most common choices, Plan G is the most complete option for new enrollees: Plan N trades small copays and no excess charge coverage for a lower premium, High Deductible Plan G trades a $2,950 annual deductible for a much lower premium, and Plan F, which also covers the Part B deductible, is closed to anyone eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020.
Plan N
Medigap Plan N trades small copays, up to $20 office and $50 ER, for a lower premium than Plan G. Compare the two and see who Plan N fits best.
Compare →Plan F
Medigap Plan F covers every gap in Original Medicare, including the $283 Part B deductible, but only those eligible before 2020 can buy it. Keep it or switch?
Compare →High-Deductible Plan G
High-Deductible Plan G pairs full Plan G benefits after a $2,950 deductible with typically the lowest premiums in Medigap. See how it works and who it fits.
Compare →Back to Medicare Supplement overview
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