Medicare Supplement Plan F: Coverage, Costs, Pros & Cons

Original Medicare pays for most hospital and outpatient care but leaves gaps. A hospital stay starts with the $1,736 Part A deductible, which you owe before Medicare pays. For doctor visits, you owe the $283 Part B deductible each year and then a share of each Medicare-approved cost.

Plan F pays all of those gaps. After Medicare pays its share, no other Medigap plan leaves you owing nothing at the doctor's office or hospital. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services standardizes the benefits for each Medigap plan letter, so no insurer can change what Plan F covers. A Plan F policy from Humana covers the same services as one from Aetna or any other carrier, and only the monthly premium differs.

Plan F closed to people newly eligible for Medicare on January 1, 2020. Under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, insurers can't sell anyone newly eligible from that date a Medigap plan that covers the Part B deductible, so Plan C closed too. Plan F's first-dollar coverage means you pay nothing at the point of care beyond your monthly premium.

Plan F pays all nine standardized Medicare cost-sharing gaps. Plan G leaves you the $283 Part B deductible, and Plan F pays it. Plan F also pays Part B excess charges, the extra amount a provider can bill you when it doesn't accept Medicare's approved rate as full payment. For doctors' and other providers' services, federal rules limit that extra amount to 15% above the approved rate. No other current Medigap plan pays both the Part B deductible and excess charges.

Plan F pays every Medicare-approved cost, but some common health needs fall outside both Original Medicare and every Medigap plan. No supplement plan pays for prescription drugs, routine dental care, hearing aids or vision correction. For drug coverage, you need a separate Medicare Part D drug plan alongside your Medigap policy.

• Prescription drugs: Plan F has no drug coverage, so you'd need a separate Medicare Part D plan for prescriptions.
• Dental care: No Medigap plan pays for routine dental services such as cleanings and fillings.
• Vision services: Plan F doesn't pay for eye exams, prescription glasses or contact lenses.
• Hearing aids: Neither Original Medicare nor any Medigap plan pays for hearing aids or their fittings.
• Long-term care: Plan F and every other Medicare Supplement plan exclude custodial care, whether in a nursing home or at home.

In MoneyGeek's 2026 rate analysis, standard Plan F premiums average $241 to $401 a month. Over time, your insurer's pricing model matters as much as the rate you're quoted, because the three models treat aging differently.

Attained age pricing ties your rate to your current age, so your premium goes up each year. Issue age pricing ties it to your age when you enrolled, so your premium doesn't go up as you age, though general rate increases still apply. Community pricing charges every policyholder the same premium regardless of age, and that premium can still rise with inflation.

*Averages come from MoneyGeek's 2026 analysis of standard Medicare Supplement Plan F premiums, calculated from each age's quotes. If you already hold a community-rated policy, its premium stays the same as you age, apart from general rate increases.

For someone buying Plan F today, attained age pricing has the lowest average premium at both 65 and 75 in MoneyGeek's data. It costs $117 a month less than community pricing at 65 and $72 less at 75.

*Averages come from MoneyGeek's 2026 analysis of High Deductible Medicare Supplement Plan F premiums. Each year, you pay the first $2,950 of your Medicare deductibles, coinsurance and copays before the plan pays anything.

At 65 on attained age pricing, High Deductible Plan F averages $62 a month, against $241 for standard Plan F. You pay $2,154 a year less in premiums ($743 vs. $2,897), and in exchange you cover the first $2,950 of your Medicare costs yourself. If your deductibles, coinsurance and copays stay under $2,154 in a year, the high-deductible version costs less overall. Above $2,154, standard Plan F costs less, though never by more than $796 a year.

Plan F costs more each month than any Medigap plan open to people new to Medicare. Compared with Plan G, Plan F's extra coverage is capped at the $283 Part B deductible, and its premium is at least $549 a year higher, so heavy health care use doesn't make up the difference. If you already hold Plan F, your current premium may differ from a new buyer's, so compare it with a Plan G quote at your age.

Plan F pays all of your Medicare cost sharing. Plan G covers everything Plan F does except the $283 Part B deductible. Plan N leaves you the most of the three: copays for doctor and emergency room visits, plus any Part B excess charges.

When you became eligible for Medicare decides which of these plans you can buy, and anyone eligible on or after January 1, 2020, can't buy Plan F. If you're picking between Plan G and Plan N, look at how often you see doctors and whether your providers bill above Medicare's approved rate.

The Part B deductible is the only cost Plan F pays that Plan G leaves to you, so Plan G saves money whenever its premium is more than $283 a year below Plan F's. In MoneyGeek's 2026 data, Plan F's premium is $549 to $1,062 a year higher, so Plan G costs less at every age and pricing model in the data. Plan N can cost less than Plan G if all your providers bill at or below Medicare's approved rate and your copays stay low. Under Plan N, you pay the difference whenever a provider bills above that rate.

Stay on Plan F if a health condition could get you turned down for a new policy. On price alone, Plan G wins. Its only extra cost to you is the $283 Part B deductible, and new buyers pay less for it at every age and pricing model in MoneyGeek's 2026 data. If you already hold Plan F, compare your current premium with a Plan G quote at your age. An issue age policy keeps the price set at the age you bought it, so your gap may differ from a new buyer's. Both plans pay Part B excess charges.

Once your Medigap Open Enrollment Period has passed (the six months that start once you're 65 and enrolled in Part B), insurers can use medical underwriting when you apply to switch. They review your health history and can charge more or turn you down. Some states, including California, Maryland and Oklahoma, give Medigap holders a yearly window around their birthday to switch to a plan with equal or fewer benefits, such as Plan F to Plan G, without underwriting. Check with your state insurance department to see whether your state has one.

The premium difference with Plan G widens with age. On attained age pricing, Plan F costs $549 a year more at 65 and $675 more at 75 in MoneyGeek's data. Plan G's extra cost to you stays at $283 at most, however much care you use.

If you can't buy Plan F, start with Plan G. It covers every Plan F benefit except the $283 Part B deductible, and in MoneyGeek's 2026 data, its premium savings over Plan F more than make up for that deductible.

Compare all available plans during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which begins when you turn 65 and enroll in Medicare Part B and lasts six months. In that window, insurers can't refuse to sell you a policy or charge more because of your health.

1. Consider Plan G. Plan G pays everything Plan F does except the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026, per CMS). No Medigap plan open to people eligible on or after January 1, 2020, covers more. In MoneyGeek's 2026 data, it averages $196 to $327 a month at 65 and 75.
2. Consider High Deductible Plan G. You get the same benefits as standard Plan G for $57 to $98 a month at 65 and 75, per MoneyGeek's 2026 data. Each year, you pay the first $2,950 of your Medicare deductibles, coinsurance and copays before the plan pays anything. It suits you if your health care use is low and you want a lower monthly cost.
3. Consider Plan N. In MoneyGeek's 2026 data, Plan N averages $148 to $267 a month at 65 and 75, less than Plan G at each age and pricing model. You pay copays of up to $20 for doctor visits and up to $50 for ER visits that don't lead to hospital admission. Plan N doesn't pay Part B excess charges, so it fits best if your doctors accept Medicare's approved rate without billing above it.
4. Review Medicare Advantage. A Medicare Advantage plan changes how you get your Part A and Part B benefits instead of adding to Original Medicare. It bundles hospital and medical coverage in one plan and may include drug coverage. You'll be limited to a provider network, which Medigap doesn't have. It suits people who want all their coverage in one plan and don't mind a network.
5. Enroll during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. Apply within six months of turning 65 and enrolling in Part B, while insurers can't deny you or charge more because of your health history. After the window closes, insurers can use medical underwriting unless your state adds its own protections.