Medigap Plan G covers more of your Part B costs. Plan N may have a lower premium, but you can owe some visit copayments and excess charges. Both work with Original Medicare and have standard benefits in most states. Insurers can charge different premiums for the same benefits.

What Both Plans Cover

Both generally cover the Part A hospital deductible and coinsurance, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, hospice cost-sharing, the first three pints of blood, and 80% of qualifying foreign travel emergency costs up to plan limits.

Neither pays the annual Part B deductible. In 2026, that deductible is $283.

Where Plan G and Plan N Differ

Standard Plan G covers Part B coinsurance after the deductible and covers Part B excess charges, the extra amount some doctors can bill when they do not accept Medicare’s approved amount as full payment. High-deductible Plan G is a separate option: its own annual deductible must be met before the policy begins paying covered benefits, so do not compare its premium as though it were standard Plan G.

Plan N pays Part B coinsurance except for a copayment of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for an emergency room visit that does not result in inpatient admission. Plan N does not cover Part B excess charges.

Plan G therefore makes your share of costs more predictable. Plan N may have a lower premium, but the difference depends on the insurer, location, age, and pricing method.

Foreign emergency coverage is limited. For these standard plans, it generally pays 80% of eligible emergency care after a $250 calendar-year deductible. The emergency must begin within the first 60 days of your trip, and the lifetime benefit limit is $50,000. It is not comprehensive international health insurance. See Medicare’s Medigap guide.

How to Compare Them

Estimate annual premiums plus likely copays and any excess charges you may owe. Ask whether your doctors accept assignment, meaning Medicare’s approved amount as full payment. Participating providers do not bill excess charges. Also compare household discounts and rate-increase history.

Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin standardize Medigap differently.

Hypothetical quotes: Plan G at $180 a month costs $2,160 a year; Plan N at $140 costs $1,680, a $480 premium difference. Six office visits at Plan N’s maximum $20 copay would use $120 of that difference, leaving $360 before any other differences, including excess charges or emergency-room copays. You still pay the Part B deductible with either plan. Your actual premiums, visit types, and possible excess charges can change the result.

Medicare policy sources last checked: October 8, 2026.