Quick Answer
Plan G pays nearly all of your Medicare-approved costs after you meet the Part B deductible each year.
You still pay your monthly Plan G premium, your Part B premium, and costs for things Medicare doesn't cover, like prescription drugs, dental, and vision.
What Does Medicare Supplement Plan G Cover?
Here's how Plan G handles each standardized Medigap benefit.
| Medicare benefit | Plan G coverage |
|---|
| Part A hospital coinsurance, plus 365 extra hospital days after Medicare benefits run out | 100% |
| Part A hospital deductible | 100% |
| Part B coinsurance and copayments | 100% |
| Part B deductible | Not covered |
| Part B excess charges | 100% |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance | 100% |
| First 3 pints of blood | 100% |
| Part A hospice coinsurance and copayments | 100% |
| Foreign travel emergency care | 80% after a $250 deductible, up to a $50,000 lifetime limit |
Plan G only pays for services Original Medicare approves.
After Medicare processes a claim and pays its share, the remaining approved amount is usually sent to your Plan G insurer automatically.
Your Plan G company then pays its portion, and you typically don't need to file anything yourself.
Excess charges are the extra amount (up to 15% above Medicare's approved amount) that a doctor who doesn't accept Medicare assignment can bill you, and some states limit or prohibit them.
In Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, Medigap plans are standardized differently, so Plan G isn't sold there under that name.
What Does Plan G Not Cover?
Plan G fills gaps in Original Medicare, so it doesn't cover services Medicare itself excludes.
- The Part B deductible. You pay the first $283 of Part B-covered services in 2026.
- Prescription drugs. You'll need a separate Medicare Part D plan for most medications.
- Routine dental, vision, and hearing care. These require separate coverage.
- Long-term custodial care. Help with daily activities in a nursing home or at home isn't covered by Medicare or Medigap.
- Your Part B premium. You still pay Medicare's monthly Part B premium on top of your Plan G premium.
How Does Medicare Supplement Plan G Work?
A real-world bill makes it easier to see how Original Medicare and Plan G split costs.
Say you're hospitalized for three days early in the year, then have $3,000 in Medicare-approved outpatient care afterward, using 2026 Medicare amounts.
| Cost | Medicare pays | Plan G pays | You pay |
|---|
| Part A hospital deductible ($1,736) | $0 | $1,736 | $0 |
| Rest of the covered hospital stay | Covered hospital charges, under Part A rules | $0 | $0 |
| First $283 of outpatient care (Part B deductible) | $0 | $0 | $283 |
| Remaining $2,717 of outpatient care | $2,173.60 (80%) | $543.40 (20%) | $0 |
| Total | Most of the bill | $2,279.40 | $283 |
Example for illustration only. It assumes all services are Medicare-approved and providers accept Medicare assignment.
Without Plan G, you would have paid the $1,736 Part A deductible plus $826.40 in Part B costs in this example, totaling $2,562.40.
Original Medicare on its own has no annual out-of-pocket maximum.
An Everyday Doctor Visit
Suppose you visit a specialist and Medicare approves $200 for the appointment.
After you've met your annual Part B deductible, Medicare generally pays $160 and Plan G pays the remaining $40.
You owe nothing for that Medicare-approved service.
Plan G doesn't change Original Medicare's coverage rules.
Medical-necessity requirements still apply, as does the limited prior authorization Original Medicare uses for certain services.
How Much Does Medicare Supplement Plan G Cost?
Plan G premiums vary by state, ZIP code, age, gender, tobacco use, insurance company, and how each company prices its policies.
Some applicants find Plan G for under $200 a month, while others pay $300 or more.
| Sample location | Woman, age 65 | Man, age 65 |
|---|
| Texas (77494) | $172.60 – $225.99 | $198.49 – $259.98 |
| Illinois (60629) | $169.84 – $260.40 | $195.32 – $299.98 |
| Florida (34787) | $201.19 – $281.56 | $225.34 – $315.54 |
About these rates: quotes we collected in November 2026 for a non-smoking applicant, for coverage starting January 1, without household discounts. Carriers quoted: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, HealthSpring, Humana, Mutual of Omaha, and UnitedHealthcare. Your premium will depend on your own ZIP code and details.
In our Illinois sample, the gap between the lowest and highest quote for the same 65-year-old woman was about $91 a month.
That's roughly $1,090 a year for identical Plan G benefits.
Across the 47 states in that same November 2026 dataset, quotes for a 65-year-old non-smoking woman ran from $119.11 a month in New Mexico to $707.98 a month in New York.
What Plan G Costs You in a Year
The premium is only part of the picture, so it helps to add up the full year.
If you pay $200 per month for Plan G and meet the full $283 Part B deductible in 2026, your combined annual cost for those two items would be $2,683.
That excludes Part B premiums, prescription drug coverage, and noncovered services.
For more pricing detail by age, see our Medicare Supplement Plan G cost guide.
Why Do Plan G Premiums Vary by Insurance Company?
Since core Plan G benefits are the same everywhere, price differences come from how each company sets and adjusts its rates.
- Attained-age rating: the premium rises as you get older, starting lower at 65.
- Issue-age rating: the premium is based on your age when you buy, so it doesn't rise just because you age.
- Community rating: everyone in an area generally pays the same premium regardless of age.
Rating methods are partly set by state rules, which is why some states (like New York) show the same price at every age.
Each company's claims experience, inflation, and competition in your area also affect its premiums.
Companies can also differ on household discounts, optional extras, how they underwrite applicants, and their history of rate increases.
No Medicare Supplement company can promise its future rate increases will be small.
That's why it makes sense to compare today's pricing and then review your premium every year or two.
See the Medicare Supplement companies we'd compare first for how specific carriers stack up.
Medicare Supplement Plan G Pros and Cons
Pros
- Broad coverage. After the Part B deductible, Medicare-approved costs are covered in full.
- Easier budgeting. Your yearly medical costs are easier to estimate in advance.
- No network. See any provider nationwide who accepts Medicare, with no referrals needed.
- Stable benefits. Standardized Plan G benefits don't change from year to year.
- Foreign travel coverage. Includes emergency care abroad, within plan limits.
Cons
- Higher premium. Plan G usually costs more each month than Plan N or High Deductible Plan G.
- Part B deductible. You pay it yourself each year.
- Premiums can rise. Rates may increase over time, sometimes significantly.
- No drug coverage. You'll need a separate Part D plan.
- Timing matters. Outside protected enrollment periods, you may have to pass medical underwriting.
Who Should Consider Medicare Supplement Plan G?
Plan G tends to fit people who:
- See doctors or specialists fairly often, or manage ongoing health conditions
- Want predictable costs and would rather pay more monthly than at the time of care
- Travel often, split time between states, or want access to specialists across the country
- Don't want referral requirements or provider networks
When Plan G May Not Be Worth the Premium
Plan G is a strong default, but it isn't the best value for everyone.
- Plan N may make sense if its premium is much lower in your area and you're comfortable with copays of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for ER visits that don't lead to an admission, plus possible excess charges. Your total costs with Plan N depend on how often you use care.
- High Deductible Plan G may make sense if you'd rather pay a lower monthly premium and are comfortable paying more out of pocket before the plan begins covering expenses.
- Employer or retiree coverage may fit better if you're still working past 65 with affordable group coverage.
- A tight budget may mean another plan, or help programs, are the more realistic choice.
Our Medicare Supplement plans comparison chart shows how every plan letter lines up side by side.
How to Enroll in Medicare Supplement Plan G
- Enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B. You must have both to buy a Medigap policy.
- Know your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. This six-month window starts the first month you're both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During it, companies can't deny you or charge more because of your health. Learn more about Medigap Open Enrollment.
- Compare Plan G from several companies. Look at the premium, rating method, household discounts, rate-increase history, and service.
- Apply with the company you choose. If you're outside your Open Enrollment Period, ask whether you have a guaranteed issue right or a state-specific protection. Otherwise, the company may ask health questions.
- Keep your old coverage until you're approved. Don't cancel an existing policy until the new one is in place.
Federal law also gives guaranteed issue rights in certain situations, such as losing employer coverage or a Medicare Advantage plan leaving your area.
Some states add their own protections, so the rules where you live matter.
Without one of these protections, switching Plan G companies later usually means answering health questions.
Our Experience and Final Recommendation
After helping Medicare beneficiaries compare coverage for more than 15 years, Plan G is still the Medigap plan we recommend most often.
A situation we hear about regularly: someone gets a new diagnosis and wants to see a specialist two states away, near their adult children.
With Plan G, that's simple, because there's no network to check.
The people happiest with Plan G tend to value knowing their costs in advance more than getting the lowest possible premium.
The mistake we see most is enrolling with the first company quoted, since the same coverage can cost hundreds of dollars more per year elsewhere.
We also hear from people years later who want a cheaper company but no longer qualify because their health changed.
If Plan G fits your budget, buying it during your Open Enrollment Period, from a fairly priced company, is usually the strongest long-term move.
If it doesn't fit your budget, Plan N or High Deductible Plan G deserves a serious look first.
