Medicare Plan G (2026–2027): Coverage and What You Pay
Bottom Line
Standard Plan G supplements Original Medicare, covering most Medicare cost sharing but leaving the $283 Part B deductible to you in 2026. You still pay Plan G and Part B premiums, arrange prescription coverage separately, and budget for services outside its benefits.
Medicare Plan G is a Medicare Supplement, or Medigap, policy that pays many costs left by Original Medicare. Standard Plan G covers the Part A deductible and most Medicare cost sharing, but you still pay premiums, the Part B deductible—$283 in 2026—and expenses outside its benefits.
If you are also reviewing life insurance for your family or estate, compare guaranteed universal life rates as a separate coverage and budgeting decision.
What standard Plan G covers
Plan G supplements Original Medicare Part A and Part B. Medicare Advantage is a separate way to receive Medicare benefits; Plan G cannot pay an Advantage plan’s copays or deductibles.
As you explore Medicare Supplement plan options, compare benefits before choosing an insurer. The same plan letter has standardized basic benefits across insurers. Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin use different standardization systems.
Standard Plan G covers the following Medicare deductibles, coinsurance and other benefits.
| Expense | Standard Plan G benefit |
|---|---|
| Part A hospital deductible | Pays the deductible for covered benefit periods |
| Hospital coinsurance | Pays Part A coinsurance, plus up to 365 additional hospital days after Medicare benefits run out |
| Part B coinsurance and copays | Pays covered cost sharing after your Part B deductible |
| Part B excess charges | Covers these permitted charges above Medicare’s approved amount |
| Skilled nursing facility care | Pays coinsurance for Medicare-covered stays |
| Part A hospice care | Pays covered copays and coinsurance |
| Blood | Covers the first three pints under Medicare’s blood benefit |
| Foreign travel emergencies | Limited coverage, explained below |
Skilled nursing coinsurance coverage does not provide ongoing custodial nursing home care. Routine dental and vision care, hearing aids and private-duty nursing generally remain outside Medigap benefits.
For qualifying foreign emergencies that Medicare does not cover, Plan G pays 80% of eligible billed charges after a separate $250 annual deductible. Care must begin within the trip’s first 60 days, and the benefit has a $50,000 lifetime limit.
Which doctors can you use?
Original Medicare lets you use doctors and hospitals that accept Medicare nationwide. Ordinary Plan G does not add an insurer network, although Medicare SELECT policies can require particular providers for full benefits. Confirm Medicare acceptance with your doctors before enrolling.
What you still pay in 2026
Your budget has several separate pieces:
- Plan G premium: The insurer’s monthly charge, which varies by policy, location and applicant factors.
- Part B premium: The standard amount is $202.90 monthly in 2026; income-related adjustments can make it higher.
- Part B deductible: You pay the first $283 of services subject to this annual deductible in 2026. It is not a new deductible for each visit.
- Other coverage and care: Include any Part A premium you owe, Part D premiums and drug costs, and services outside your coverage.
The 2026 standard Part B premium is $202.90 monthly, separate from your Medigap premium. Budget for these separate Medicare expenses together; the $283 deductible is not a ceiling on all your health spending.
Arrange prescription coverage alongside Plan G or Plan N separately: new Medigap policies do not include Part D drug coverage. Compare standalone Part D plans using your medications, dosages and pharmacies.
After your initial enrollment period, going 63 consecutive days or longer without Part D or other creditable prescription coverage can trigger a late enrollment penalty. Creditable coverage is expected to pay, on average, at least as much as Medicare drug coverage.
Compare the alternatives before comparing premiums
Plan N: accept more costs when you receive care
Understand Plan N copays and coverage gaps first. Both G and N leave you responsible for the Part B deductible. Plan N also has copays of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits without inpatient admission, and it does not cover Part B excess charges.
A lower Plan N premium may justify those costs if the annual savings are sufficient. Plan G may suit you better if avoiding those additional bills matters more than reducing the monthly premium.
High-deductible G: keep a larger cash reserve
High-deductible Plan G is available in some states. In 2026, you pay $2,950 of qualifying out-of-pocket expenses before the policy begins paying benefits; Medicare still pays its share. Premiums do not count toward that deductible.
Your Part B deductible payment counts toward the $2,950, even though high-deductible G does not cover the Part B deductible itself. Consider this option only if the premium reduction is worthwhile and you can comfortably fund the deductible.
Plan F: relevant to eligible buyers and existing owners
Plan F and Plan G benefit differences center on the Part B deductible: standard F covers it; standard G does not. Plan F purchases are limited to people eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.
If you already own standard F, compare its extra annual premium with the $283 deductible G leaves you in 2026. Confirm your right to switch or underwriting approval before replacing coverage; eligibility for F alone does not guarantee acceptance into G.
Plan G premiums: a dated Maryland example
There is no national Plan G price. Discounts, underwriting and the insurer’s pricing method can affect the premium, and premiums typically rise over time. Request the current price and ask how future increases are determined.
When comparing Plan G rates in Maryland, keep age, location, tobacco status, enrollment rights, effective date and discounts consistent. Maryland prices do not change the national standardized benefits.
Maryland’s July 1, 2026 rate guide reports these CareFirst MedPlus monthly rates for a 65-year-old woman in Baltimore Metro, D.C. Metro or Western Maryland, Level 1, without a household discount. Level 1 applies during Medigap open enrollment or guaranteed issue. These are dated published examples, not personalized quotes.
| Policy | Published monthly premium |
|---|---|
| Standard Plan G | $234 |
| Plan N | $176 |
| High-deductible Plan G | $68 |
Hypothetical annual calculation: With the listed G premium unchanged for 12 months and the full Part B deductible incurred, $234 × 12 + $283 = $3,091. Add Part B premiums, drug coverage and other expenses.
When comparing Plan G and Plan N costs in the same hypothetical year, N’s premiums would be $696 lower. Weigh that difference against N’s additional copays and any excess charges. Confirm current written quotes before applying.
When you can buy or switch
The federal Medigap open enrollment period lasts six months, starting with the first month you are at least 65 and enrolled in Part B. During this window, health conditions cannot be used to deny a policy or charge more. Outside it, medical underwriting may apply unless you have a guaranteed issue right or state protection. Under-65 availability also depends on state rules.
Annual Medicare open enrollment, October 15–December 7, does not generally guarantee Medigap acceptance without underwriting. That annual window concerns Medicare Advantage and Part D changes. Changes made in fall 2026 generally begin January 1, 2027; this page’s dollar figures describe 2026, not 2027 pricing.
Maryland has an additional protection for existing Maryland-issued Medigap policyholders: their birthday and the following 30 days provide a window to switch without underwriting to an eligible policy with equal or lesser benefits. This is a state rule.
Before replacing a policy, confirm acceptance, the effective date and any applicable waiting period. Dropping Medigap can make it difficult to get coverage back.
Prepare a coverage comparison
Gather your ZIP code, birth date, Part B start date, current coverage, medication list and preferred pharmacies. Request written quotes from several insurers for the same Plan G version and effective date, with discount conditions spelled out.
Then compare a full year of premiums and likely uncovered expenses for G, N and high-deductible G. Choose the combination whose monthly payment and potential care bills both fit your budget.