Medigap Plan N vs. Plan G: Differences, Pros & Cons

Plan G costs $49 more per month than Plan N on average but covers Part B excess charges and has no copays. Plan N suits healthy enrollees who rarely see specialists.

Compare coverage differences and costs to choose the right Medigap plan.

Written by Mark Fitzpatrick

Updated: April 21, 2026

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Key Takeaways

Plan G costs $49 more monthly than Plan N at age 65, rising to $58 more by age 75.

Plan G covers Part B excess charges but Plan N does not, exposing enrollees to up to 15% more per service.

Plan N requires copays of up to $20 per office visit and $50 per emergency room visit.

Both plans cover hospital costs, skilled nursing and emergency care abroad identically.

How Do Medicare Supplement Plan G and Plan N Differ?

Plan G costs an average of $220 per month at age 65 compared to $171 for Plan N, a $49 monthly gap that widens to $58 by age 75. The core trade-off is coverage depth versus premium savings: Plan G eliminates cost-sharing at the point of care, while Plan N shifts some of that risk back to the enrollee through copays and unprotected excess charges.

The two plans diverge on three specific points. Plan G covers Part B excess charges, which providers can bill at up to 15% above Medicare-approved rates. Plan N does not cover those charges. Plan N also requires a copay of up to $20 per doctor visit and up to $50 per emergency room visit (waived if the ER visit leads to hospital admission), while Plan G has none. Everything else these plans cover is identical.


Average monthly premium (age 65)	$220	$171
Average monthly premium (age 75)	$279	$221
Part B excess charges	Covered	Not covered
Office visit copay	None	Up to $20
Emergency room copay	None	Up to $50 (waived if admitted)
Part A deductible	Covered	Covered
Part B deductible	Not covered	Not covered
Skilled nursing coinsurance	Covered	Covered
Foreign travel emergency	Covered	Covered

What Do Plan G and Plan N Cover?

Plan G and Plan N share the same core benefit structure, filling the largest gaps Original Medicare leaves open, including hospital costs, skilled nursing care and emergency care abroad. These shared benefits apply regardless of which insurer sells the plan, because both plans are federally standardized under CMS rules.

Part A hospital coinsurance and 365 additional hospital days after Medicare benefits end

Covers hospital stays beyond Medicare's limits and eliminates coinsurance costs for hospital days 61 through 90 and lifetime reserve days.

Part A deductible ($1,736 in 2026)

Pays the full Part A deductible for each benefit period, eliminating the upfront hospital admission cost.

Part A hospice care coinsurance

Covers coinsurance or copayment amounts for hospice care under Medicare Part A.

Skilled nursing facility coinsurance (days 21 through 100)

Pays the daily coinsurance amount for skilled nursing care after Medicare's 20-day full-coverage period ends.

Part B coinsurance or copayment

Covers the 20% coinsurance Medicare Part B typically charges for outpatient services, except for copays specific to Plan N.

First three pints of blood

Pays for the first three pints of blood needed during a covered service each calendar year.

Foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits)

Covers 80% of emergency care costs during foreign travel after a $250 deductible, up to a $50,000 lifetime maximum.

What Plan G Covers That Plan N Doesn't?

Plan G covers Part B excess charges, the amount a non-participating Medicare provider can bill above the Medicare-approved rate, up to 15% more per service. Plan N offers no protection against excess charges. In states where providers commonly bill excess charges, this gap can add hundreds of dollars annually to an enrollee's out-of-pocket costs.

How Plan N Handles the Coverage It Shares with Plan G?

Plan N covers every benefit Plan G covers except Part B excess charges. Where Plan N diverges is not in what it covers but in how it delivers that coverage at the point of care:

Up to $20 copay per covered office visit.
Up to $50 copay per emergency room visit (waived if the visit results in inpatient admission).
No excess charge protection.

Pros and Cons of Medicare Supplement Plan N vs. Plan G

Plan G and Plan N each carry trade-offs that favor different enrollee profiles. Plan G offers cleaner cost predictability but Plan N delivers lower premiums with specific cost-sharing obligations. The table below maps the advantages and limitations of each plan side by side.


Pros	No copays at the point of care (office visits or ER). Full Part B excess charge protection, up to 15% above Medicare-approved rates. Predictable monthly costs with no surprise billing at the provider level. Accepted by any Medicare-participating provider nationwide.	Lower monthly premium: averages $49 less than Plan G at age 65 and $58 less at age 75. Covers all core Medicare gaps except excess charges and copays. Strong fit for healthy enrollees with low annual utilization. Same broad provider access as Plan G.
Cons	Higher monthly premium: averages $220 at age 65 vs. $171 for Plan N. Costlier for enrollees with very low utilization who may never benefit from excess charge protection.	No Part B excess charge coverage: enrollees can be billed up to 15% above Medicare rates by non-participating providers. Up to $20 copay per office visit and up to $50 per ER visit. Annual copay exposure can reduce or eliminate premium savings for frequent doctor users. Underwriting may apply if switching plans outside guaranteed issue windows.

How Much Do Medigap Plan G and Plan N Cost?

Plan N costs an average of $49 less per month than Plan G at age 65, a gap that grows to $58 by age 75. Premiums rise with age under most pricing structures. The table below shows national average monthly costs for both plans based on 2026 MoneyGeek data.


65	$220	$171	$49	$588
75	$279	$221	$58	$696

Which Plan Is Right for You?

The right Medigap plan depends on how often you use Medicare-covered services and whether your providers bill excess charges. Plan G rewards frequent users with cost predictability. Plan N rewards low utilizers with premium savings. The sections below identify the specific enrollee profiles that benefit most from each plan.

When Medicare Supplement Plan G Makes More Sense

Plan G is the stronger fit when annual health care use is high or when providers operate in states that allow excess charges. At $220 per month for a 65-year-old, Plan G's higher premium becomes secondary to the cost predictability it provides, particularly for enrollees who see specialists or use non-participating Medicare providers regularly.

See multiple specialists regularly

Frequent office visits make Plan G's zero-copay structure more cost-effective than Plan N's $20 per-visit charge.

Live in a state where providers bill excess charges

Plan G's excess charge coverage protects against unpredictable 15% surcharges that Plan N does not cover.

Manage chronic conditions requiring ongoing care

Predictable costs across multiple visits and services favor Plan G's thorough coverage model.

Prefer budget certainty over premium savings

Plan G eliminates point-of-care costs, making monthly expenses easier to forecast.

When a Lower Premium Plan N Outweighs the Coverage Gap

Plan N suits enrollees whose health patterns keep annual out-of-pocket exposure well below the premium savings of $588 per year at age 65. The table below maps specific scenarios to Plan N's financial advantage.


Fewer than 10 doctor visits per year	Annual copay costs stay under $200, well below Plan N's $588 annual premium savings at age 65.
Providers accept Medicare assignment	No excess charge exposure eliminates Plan N's largest coverage gap.
Good health with minimal specialist care	Low service use keeps copay totals minimal while capturing full premium savings.
State prohibits excess charges	Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont ban excess charges, removing Plan N's primary risk.

Medigap Plan G vs. Plan N: FAQ

How much cheaper is Plan N than Plan G?

Plan N averages $49 less per month than Plan G at age 65 ($171 vs. $220) and $58 less at age 75. Annual savings reach $588 at age 65 before factoring in copays or excess charges.

Does Plan N cover Part B excess charges?

Plan N provides no coverage for Part B excess charges. Providers who do not accept Medicare assignment can bill up to 15% above the Medicare-approved rate and Plan N enrollees pay that difference out of pocket.

Which plan is better for someone with a chronic condition?

Plan G is the stronger fit for enrollees managing chronic conditions who see multiple providers regularly. Eliminating copays and excess charge exposure keeps costs predictable across frequent visits, offsetting Plan G's higher monthly premium.

Can you switch from Plan N to Plan G?

Switching from Plan N to Plan G is possible, but insurers can require medical underwriting outside guaranteed issue windows in most states, meaning a health condition could result in higher premiums or denial.

Does Plan N cover emergency room visits?

Plan N covers emergency room visits but charges a copay of up to $50 per visit. That copay is waived if the visit results in inpatient hospital admission. Plan G covers all emergency room visits with no copay.

Are Plan G and Plan N available in all states?

Both plans are available in most states, but Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin use different Medigap structures and do not offer standard lettered plans. Residents should review state-specific Medicare Supplement options through their state insurance department.

About Mark Fitzpatrick

Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut, is MoneyGeek's resident insurance expert. He has analyzed the insurance market for almost a decade, first with LendingTree and now with MoneyGeek, conducting original research on hundreds of insurance companies and millions of insurance rates for insurance shoppers.

He writes about economics and insurance on MoneyGeek, breaking down complex topics so people can have confidence in their purchase. Like all MoneyGeek analysts, Mark collects and analyzes independent cost and consumer experience data on insurance companies to provide objective recommendations in our content that are independent of any of MoneyGeek's insurance company partnerships.

His insights — on products ranging from car, home and renters insurance to health and life insurance — have been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR among others.

Mark holds a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He started his career working in financial risk management at State Street before transitioning to analysis of the personal insurance market. He's also a five-time Jeopardy champion!

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