Medicare Supplement · Plan N
Medigap Plan N in 2026-2027: A Lower Premium for a Few Small Copays
Medigap Plan N is built for people who want strong protection from Original Medicare's biggest costs but would rather keep more of their monthly budget. Like Plan G, it picks up the 20 percent Part B coinsurance that has no out-of-pocket cap under Original Medicare alone, and it pays the $1,736 Part A hospital deductible in full. In exchange, you agree to a few small, predictable copays.
Written by the licensed advisor team at Pinnacle Insurance Advisors · Last updated July 29, 2026
Those copays are the trade. You pay up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for an emergency room visit that does not lead to an inpatient admission. Plan N also does not cover Part B excess charges, which are extra amounts a doctor who does not accept Medicare assignment is allowed to bill above the Medicare-approved amount. Depending on how often you see the doctor, those costs can total less over a year than what you save in premium compared with Plan G, which is exactly why value shoppers look hard at this letter.
Like every Medigap plan, Plan N works alongside Original Medicare. You keep your red, white, and blue Medicare card, you can see any doctor in the country who accepts Medicare patients, and you never need a referral or network permission. You will still pay the $283 annual Part B deductible yourself, the same amount Plan G leaves to you, and you will want a separate Part D plan for prescription drugs.
Plan N fits you if…
- You want the same core hospital and doctor protection as Plan G but at a lower monthly premium
- You are fine paying up to $20 at some office visits and up to $50 for an ER visit in exchange for that savings
- Your doctors accept Medicare assignment, so Part B excess charges are unlikely to ever affect you
- You like small, predictable out-of-pocket costs but want a hard stop on the catastrophic ones
What Plan N 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 N: Pros & Cons
Why people pick it
- Typically a lower monthly premium than Plan G for nearly identical core coverage
- Covers the 20 percent Part B coinsurance, which has no out-of-pocket cap under Original Medicare alone
- Pays the $1,736 Part A hospital deductible in full
- Copays are capped and predictable: up to $20 for office visits and up to $50 in the ER
- The ER copay is waived if the visit turns into an inpatient admission
- See any doctor nationwide who accepts Medicare, with no networks and no referrals
- Federally standardized benefits, so every carrier's Plan N covers exactly the same things
The trade-offs
- Does not cover Part B excess charges, so a doctor who does not accept Medicare assignment can bill you extra
- Does not cover the $283 annual Part B deductible, though Plan G leaves you that same amount
- Office and ER copays can add up if you see doctors frequently
- Switching letters later usually requires medical underwriting once your one-time Medigap open enrollment window has passed
- Premiums still rise over time, and rates for the identical benefits vary widely from carrier to carrier
What Plan N Costs
Because Medigap plans with the same letter are federally standardized, every carrier's Plan N pays exactly the same benefits. The only real difference is the premium, which varies by carrier, your age, your county, and sometimes factors like tobacco use or household discounts. That turns Plan N shopping into a rate hunt: the goal is not to find the best version of Plan N, because there is no such thing, but to find the lowest reliable price on the identical benefit package. A well-known brand name is not automatically the best value in your zip code.
Timing matters as much as the rate. During your one-time Medigap open enrollment window, which begins when you are first enrolled in Part B at 65 or older, you can buy Plan N from any carrier with no health questions. Outside that window, switching usually requires medical underwriting, meaning a carrier can review your health history and decline you or charge more, so the plan you choose now may be the plan you keep. Keep in mind that CMS announces final 2027 figures, including the Part B deductible, in late September 2026. If you would like every carrier's Plan N rate for your age and county lined up side by side, a licensed advisor at Pinnacle Insurance Advisors in Fort Lauderdale will run that comparison free of charge at 1-877-826-0053.
One call compares every carrier's Plan N rate in your county. Free, and the premium is the same either way.
Plan N questions, answered
Plan G and Plan N cover the same core gaps in Original Medicare; the differences are that Plan N charges copays of up to $20 for office visits and up to $50 for ER visits, does not cover Part B excess charges, and usually costs less per month. Neither plan covers the $283 annual Part B deductible.
Compare related plans
Plan N sits between Plan G's fuller coverage and High-Deductible Plan G's $2,950 deductible: you accept small copays and no excess-charge coverage in exchange for a lower premium, while Plan F stays closed to anyone not eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.
Plan G
Medigap Plan G covers nearly every gap in Original Medicare except the $283 Part B deductible. See what it pays, its trade-offs, and how to shop the rate.
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
Shop every carrier's Plan N rate at once
Because same-letter benefits are standardized by law, the only variable is price. Tell us a little about your situation and we'll compare the market for you.