IS MEDIGAP PLAN N THE NEW PREFERRED MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT MEDIGAP PLAN IN AMERICA?

Michael T. Braden October 6, 2026 Medicare Plans

IS MEDIGAP PLAN N THE NEW PREFERRED MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT MEDIGAP PLAN IN AMERICA?

There have been a lot of changes, and to use a Horse-Racing term, "Jockeying" for position, for the past two years when it comes to what Medigap Plan (Medicare Supplement, If You Prefer) is the best plan available.

For this article, Plan F has the most benefits, but its premium increases have always been higher than Plan G and Plan N. And the only difference is that Plan F automatically pays the Annual Medicare Part B Deductible for you. Plan F also automatically pays the annual Medicare Part B deductible on your behalf. That is a nice convenience, but since you can easily pay $500-$1,500 more per year for Plan F, Plan G is the way to go.

Picture Of Braden Medicare Insurance's Comparing Medicare Supplement Plan N VS Medicare Supplement Plan G Poster

Over the past 10 Years, Plan F has had the highest premium increases, Plan G the second highest, and Plan N the lowest of the three. This trend is expected to continue indefinitely.

Choosing either Medicare Supplement/Medigap Plan G or Plan N comes down to two things: Plan N's small office and ER copays and its excess-charge gap, traded for a lower premium. Everything else is identical, because the federal government standardizes both plans. So this is a smaller decision than it looks, and once you understand those two differences, you can pick with confidence. Here's exactly how they play out for your situation.

IS MEDIGAP PLAN N THE NEW PREFERRED MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT MEDIGAP PLAN IN AMERICA?

We are not ready to replace Plan G with Plan N yet................... But Plan N has been the most popular choice for Medicare Beneficiaries over the past two years, especially given the premium increases for beneficiaries with a Plan G policy.

VITAL STATISTICS

One point to clear up any confusion: the terms Medigap and Medicare Supplement refer to the same thing. So, Medigap Plan N is the same thing as Medicare Supplement Plan N. It is simply up to you which term you find most comfortable to remember and use.

1. Both Medigap Plan G and Medigap Plan N have been federally standardized, so the benefits are identical no matter which insurer sells them. You're really choosing between two cost-sharing rules.

2. Both plans leave you with the annual Medicare Part B deductible, which is just $283 for 2026. I expect that deductible to increase to around $291 for 2027, but CMS does not announce that until November.

3. After that, Plan G pays your remaining Part A and Part B coinsurance and copayments in full, including excess charges. The one partial benefit is foreign travel emergency care, which Plan G covers at 80% up to plan limits rather than in full.

4. Plan N does two things Plan G doesn't: it charges copays of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for ER visits that don't lead to a hospital admission, and it doesn't cover Part B excess charges.

5. Because Plan N has fewer benefits, its monthly premiums are generally $ 30-$60 lower than Plan G, and the rate for men is typically $10-$15 more than for women of the same age.

WHY DO ALL LETTERED MEDIGAP/MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT PLANS HAVE THE SAME BENEFITS?

Let's clear up what trips up most shoppers first. When you compare Plan G quotes from five different insurers, you're not comparing five different plans. You're comparing five prices for the same plan.

That's because federal law standardizes all Medicare Supplement policies, specifically section 1882 of the Social Security Act. The government sets the benefits in each lettered plan, not the insurance company. So a Plan G from a big national carrier covers precisely what a Plan G from a small regional one covers, and the same goes for Plan N.

Note: A few unique differences apply if you are considering a Plan N or a Plan G in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Therefore, we advise you to contact your state's State Health Insurance Department (SHIP) for clarification as needed.

Photo Of Braden Medicare Insurance's Comparison Between Medigap Plan N and Medigap Plan G Poster

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENTIATORS THAT SEPARATE PLAN N FROM PLAN G?

Plan G and Plan N are both excellent Medicare Supplement/Medigap Plans. Since 2020, Plan G has been the most popular Medicare Supplement in America, and Plan N is the second most popular. After you meet the annual Medicare Part B deductible, both Plan G and Plan N pay the 20% coinsurance for covered services after Medicare pays its 80% share. So yes, you have an additional premium for your Medicare Supplement/Medigap plan, but in return your only out-of-pocket costs during the year are the Annual Part B Deductible, which is $283.00 for 2026.  Two main differences separate Plan G from Plan N.

First, the part that's the same for both, so it's not a tiebreaker: neither Plan G nor Plan N pays your annual Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026. You pay that yourself once a year before either plan starts covering your Part B costs. After that, here's how they split costs.

CO-PAYS

With Plan G, after the deductible, you don't pay anything at the doctor. Plan N adds a copay of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that don't end in a hospital admission. These are small, but if you see specialists often, they add up over a year.

MEDICARE PART B EXCESS CHARGES 

An excess charge is the extra a doctor can bill when they don't accept Medicare's standard payment (what's called not accepting assignment). Plan G covers those charges in full. Plan N leaves them to you. How much this matters depends on which doctors you see, and specifically on whether each one accepts assignment, is non-participating, or has opted out of Medicare altogether.

HERE IS A SIDE-BY-SIDE LOOK AT BOTH PLANS

Here's the comparison in one place. Notice how much is identical, and how the differences all sit in the same two rows.

CATEGORY What you pay	Plan G	Plan N
Part B deductible	You pay it ($283 in 2026)	You pay it ($283 in 2026)
Part B coinsurance (the 20%)	Covered in full	Covered, minus copays
Office-visit copay	None	Up to $20
ER copay (no admission)	None	Up to $50
Part B excess charges	Covered	You pay them
Part A hospital costs	Covered	Covered
Monthly premium	Higher	Usually lower

The 20% figure is the share of Part B costs Original Medicare leaves you after the deductible, and both plans cover it (Plan N just carves out the copays).

WHAT TYPE OF MEDICARE CONSUMER IS THE BEST FIT FOR MEDIGAP PLAN N?

• You don't go to the doctor constantly so that the copays won't add up to much. And remember, co-pays apply only to diagnostic appointments and reviewing Test Results; regular appointments typically aren't subject to the up to $20 office co-pays.

• Your doctors accept Medicare assignment, so excess charges never come up. A provider who accepts assignment takes the Medicare-approved amount as payment in full and can't generate an excess charge, so it's worth asking each doctor you see.

• You'd rather keep your monthly premium down and handle the occasional small copay yourself.

  
  

The math works when the premium you save each month is more than the copays and any excess charges you'd actually run into. For a healthy person who sees the doctor a handful of times a year and lives where their providers take assignment, that's often an easy win.

WHY MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES ARE ATTRACTED TO MEDIGAP/MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT PLAN G

• You see doctors or specialists often, so those $20 copays would stack up.

• You want one and done: pay the Part B deductible in January, then face no copays or coinsurance on your covered Medicare care the rest of the year.

• You worry about excess charges, or you know a doctor you see doesn't accept assignment.

Plan G costs more each month, but you're buying certainty. After that single deductible, your Part A and Part B cost-sharing is handled, including excess charges. With. For people who value knowing their number, that peace of mind is worth the higher premium.

So which is it? If you're healthy, cost-conscious, and your doctors take assignment, Plan N usually wins on total cost. If you use a lot of care or you just want the fuller, more predictable coverage of the two, Plan G is the safer pick. Run both premium quotes for your zip code and weigh the difference against how much care you actually use.

MOST COMMON QUESTIONS ARE CLIENTS ASK US ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PLAN G & PLAN N

DOES PLAN N COST LESS THAN PLAN G?

Plan N usually has a lower monthly premium than Plan G because it passes some costs back to you through copays and excess charges. Whether it's cheaper overall depends on how much care you use: if you rarely hit the copays and your doctors accept assignment, Plan N's lower premium often wins. If you use a lot of care, Plan G can come out ahead.

DOES MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT/MEDIGAP PLAN N COVER THE MEDICARE PART B EXCESS CHARGES?

No, and this is one of only two ways Plan N differs from Plan G. If a provider is non-participating, meaning they don't accept assignment, they can often bill no more than 15% above the Medicare-approved amount, a cap called the "limiting charge." With Plan N, you pay that excess yourself, while Plan G covers it in full. That 15% ceiling has a hole worth knowing about: a provider who has opted out of Medicare altogether isn't bound by the limiting charge, and Medicare won't pay for their services except in emergencies. So if a doctor you rely on doesn't take assignment, ask which one they are, because that alone can tip the decision toward Plan G.

ARE THE HOSPITAL BENEFITS THE SAME FOR PLAN N AND PLAN G?

Absolutely. The Medicare Part A hospital benefits are identical between the two plans: both cover the Part A deductible in full, along with Part A coinsurance, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, and hospice coinsurance. The differences are only on the Part B side: Plan N's office and ER copays and its excess-charge gap. Everything on the hospital side is the same.

ARE THE PLAN N CO-PAYS EXPENSIVE?

Note the words "up to": the cap is $20 for some office visits and $50 for an emergency room visit that doesn't lead to inpatient admission, but many visits cost less and the copay never exceeds those amounts. If the ER visit ends in a hospital admission, the $50 is waived entirely. Over a year, whether they add up depends on how often you go: a handful of visits is a modest amount, while frequent specialist care can erase Plan N's premium savings. Plan G has no copays.

IF I CHOOSE TO ENROLL IN PLAN N, WILL I NEED TO SWITCH TO PLAN N BEFORE I GET SICK?

You can apply, but switching between Medigap plans after your one-time, 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment window usually means answering health questions (medical underwriting), and the insurer can turn you down or charge more. That's the real risk with starting on Plan N: if your health changes, moving up to Plan G isn't guaranteed. The exception worth knowing is that separate federal guaranteed-issue rights attach in particular circumstances, and states add their own, so don't assume the door is shut without checking. Talk to a licensed agent or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program before you count on it either way.

WRAPPING THINGS UP

I hope today’s article helped anyone who wants to know how Medicare Supplement Plan G and Plan N differ. These are the most popular choices among the 11 Medigap/Medicare Supplement options. Both plans cover the 20% left over after Original Medicare pays its 80%.

As an independent Medicare broker for the past 11 years, I am a big fan of Original Medicare over Medicare Advantage plans in most cases. It comes down to budgeting and planning without worrying about unexpected costs. Below are the biggest reasons I believe Original Medicare is superior to Medicare Advantage plans:

• Medicare covers all of the costs of Radiation and/or chemotherapy treatments if you are ever diagnosed with Cancer. Each Medicare Advantage plan has a 20% coinsurance that you pay for these treatments.

• Original Medicare is accepted at every hospital (Excluding VA Facilities). This includes training hospitals like Mayo, Barrow's, Johns Hopkins, Cedars-Sinai, etc.

• There are no Networks, so you can see any Doctor or Hospital that accepts Medicare in all 50 states.

• You don't need a referral to see a specialist.

• There are no co-pays for Hospital Rooms, MRIs, CT Scans, etc.

• You do not have to worry about changing or switching plans every year.

• You won't need prior authorizations for 99% of procedures.

• Once you have a policy, it can never be canceled due to your claims history.

• If you want to switch carriers, you can do so any day of the year, but you will need to pass Medical Underwriting, which nearly 75% of all Medicare Beneficiaries do.

• Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy are 100% covered.

• You can pick any Skilled Nursing Facility you want.

• More predictable costs with a very manageable annual deductible under $300.

We invite you to let us know if you found the information in this article interesting and helpful in understanding the differences

between Medicare Supplement/Medigap Plan N and Plan G.  Please email me directly at mike@bradenmedicare.com or call me at (480) 225-1393.

You can also call Medicare directly with questions at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or visit the Medicare.gov website to start a live chat. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.