Medicare Plan G in 2026: Pros, Cons, and Who It Fits

What Plan G covers in 2026

Plan G is one of the standardized Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans sold by private insurers to help pay the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare (Parts A and B) leaves behind. Because the benefits are standardized by federal rule, a Plan G policy covers the same things no matter which company sells it — only the price and service differ.

After you pay the one annual Part B deductible, Plan G is designed to cover the cost-sharing that would otherwise come out of your pocket for Medicare-approved services. The Part B coinsurance is normally 20% of the approved amount with no cap, which is the single biggest reason many people buy a supplement.

• Part A hospital coinsurance and an additional 365 days of hospital costs after Medicare benefits are used up
• Part A deductible ($1,736 per benefit period in 2026)
• Part B coinsurance or copayment (the 20% you'd normally owe after the Part B deductible)
• Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
• Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance (the $217/day charge for days 21–100 in 2026)
• First 3 pints of blood
• Part B excess charges (when a provider who doesn't accept assignment bills more than the Medicare-approved amount)
• Foreign travel emergency care — generally 80% of billed charges after a $250 deductible, up to plan limits, with a $50,000 lifetime maximum

What Plan G does not cover

The one Original Medicare cost Plan G deliberately leaves to you is the annual Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026. This is the defining difference between Plan G and the older Plan F (which also covered the Part B deductible). Plan F is no longer available to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020.

Plan G is medical-only. It does not include prescription drug coverage, routine dental, vision, hearing, or long-term custodial care. If you want drug coverage, you generally enroll in a separate Part D plan; the 2026 national base beneficiary premium is $38.99 per month, and Part D now caps covered out-of-pocket drug spending at $2,100 for the year.

You also keep paying your standard Part B premium — $202.90 per month in 2026 — in addition to your Medigap premium. Medigap and Medicare Advantage are mutually exclusive: you cannot use a Plan G policy alongside a Medicare Advantage plan.

What Plan G costs

Plan G has its own monthly premium, set by each insurer, that varies by company, ZIP code, age, gender, tobacco use, and how the carrier rates policies (issue-age, attained-age, or community-rated). Because benefits are identical across carriers, comparing the premium for the same plan letter is the most useful price check. Premiums also tend to rise over time as you age and with general medical inflation.

Layered on top of the Plan G premium are the costs Medicare itself charges everyone: the Part B premium of $202.90 per month and, in 2026, the $283 Part B deductible you pay before Plan G coverage kicks in. Higher earners may owe an income-related adjustment (IRMAA) added to the Part B premium — bringing the total to between $284.10 and $689.90 per month — once modified adjusted gross income exceeds $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (joint) based on 2024 tax data.

• Plan G premium: varies by insurer and personal factors (not standardized)
• Part B premium: $202.90/month in 2026 (more with IRMAA)
• Part B deductible you pay yourself: $283 in 2026
• Optional Part D drug plan: national base premium $38.99/month in 2026

Standard vs. high-deductible Plan G

There are two versions of Plan G. Standard Plan G starts paying after you've met the Part B deductible. High-Deductible Plan G (HDG) charges a much lower monthly premium but requires you to pay your own out-of-pocket costs up to an annual deductible before the policy pays anything. For 2026, that high-deductible amount is $2,950, effective January 1, 2026.

HDG can make sense for healthier enrollees who want catastrophic-style protection at a low premium and can absorb the deductible in a heavy-use year. The same benefit grid applies once you meet the deductible. Note that the high-deductible amount and the separate $283 Part B deductible are tracked differently, so confirm the specifics with the insurer before enrolling.

Plan G pros and cons at a glance

• Pro: Very predictable spending — after the $283 Part B deductible, most Medicare-approved costs are covered
• Pro: Covers Part B excess charges, which several other Medigap letters do not
• Pro: Use any provider in the U.S. that accepts Medicare — no networks or referrals
• Pro: A low-premium high-deductible version exists for budget-focused, healthier enrollees
• Con: A monthly premium on top of your Part B premium
• Con: No drug, dental, vision, or hearing coverage built in — Part D and extras are separate
• Con: Outside your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment window, insurers can use medical underwriting and deny or surcharge you
• Con: You still pay the Part B deductible yourself each year

Who Plan G tends to fit

Plan G is often considered by people who want broad, predictable coverage and the freedom to see any Medicare provider without network restrictions, and who are comfortable paying a monthly premium for that certainty. It is frequently compared with Plan N (lower premium, but with copays and excess charges) and with Medicare Advantage (lower or no premium, but networks and variable out-of-pocket costs).

The best time to buy is during your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window insurers cannot deny you or charge more for health reasons. The right choice depends on your budget, health, travel habits, and whether you value provider freedom over a lower premium — so compare specific quotes and read each policy before deciding.