Medicare Supplement Plan N: What It Covers and Costs in 2026

What Plan N covers in 2026

Plan N is a standardized Medigap policy, which means the core benefits are identical no matter which private insurer sells it — only the price and service differ. It is designed to sit on top of Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) and pick up many of the cost-sharing amounts Medicare itself leaves to you.

After you pay the annual Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), Plan N pays your Part B coinsurance — the share you'd otherwise owe on doctor visits, outpatient care, and similar services — except for two modest copays described below.

• Part A hospital coinsurance, plus up to 365 additional hospital days after your Medicare benefits are used up
• The full Part A deductible ($1,736 per benefit period in 2026)
• Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
• Skilled nursing facility (SNF) care coinsurance
• Part B coinsurance or copayment (minus the Plan N office and ER copays)
• The first 3 pints of blood each year

The copays and gaps Plan N leaves you

Plan N's lower premium comes from cost-sharing you keep. Understanding these gaps is the whole point of choosing Plan N over a more comprehensive policy.

Plan N does not cover the Part B deductible. You pay the first $283 of Part B-covered services in 2026 yourself before the plan's coinsurance benefit kicks in. It also does not cover Part B excess charges — the extra amount (up to 15%) a provider who doesn't accept Medicare assignment may legally bill above the Medicare-approved amount.

• Up to $20 copay for some office visits
• Up to $50 copay for an emergency room visit that does not result in inpatient admission (typically waived if you're admitted)
• The annual Part B deductible — $283 in 2026 — is your responsibility
• Part B excess charges are not covered, so you may owe them depending on the provider

What Plan N costs

A Plan N policy has its own monthly premium that varies by insurer, your age, ZIP code, gender, tobacco use, and how the company prices policies (issue-age, attained-age, or community-rated). Because the benefits are standardized, comparing quotes from several insurers for identical Plan N coverage is the most reliable way to find value.

Plan N's premium is on top of — not instead of — your Part B premium, which is $202.90 per month in 2026 for most people. Higher earners pay an income-related adjustment (IRMAA) that can raise the total Part B amount to between $284.10 and $689.90 per month, based on 2024 modified adjusted gross income above $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (joint).

Plan N does not include prescription drug coverage. If you want drug coverage, you'd typically add a standalone Part D plan; the national base Part D premium is $38.99 per month in 2026, and Part D out-of-pocket spending is capped at $2,100 for the year.

Plan N vs. Plan G: how to think about the trade-off

Plan N is most often compared with Plan G. Both leave you the Part B deductible, and both cover the Part A deductible and Part B coinsurance. The key differences: Plan G covers Part B excess charges and has no office or ER copays, while Plan N has the copays and does not cover excess charges — but usually carries a lower monthly premium.

Whether Plan N or Plan G saves more money depends on how often you see doctors, whether your providers accept Medicare assignment (which makes excess charges a non-issue), and the actual premium gap between the two plans in your area. Someone with few visits and a large premium savings may come out ahead with Plan N; a frequent-visit enrollee, or one whose providers bill excess charges, may prefer Plan G.

Note that Plans C and F, which also covered the Part B deductible, are no longer available to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. Plan N is one of the options available to newly eligible beneficiaries today.

When and how to enroll

The best time to buy any Medigap policy, including Plan N, is during your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts the month you're both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During this window you have a guaranteed issue right: insurers must sell you a policy at their best available rate and cannot deny you or charge more because of pre-existing conditions.

Outside that window, in most states an insurer can use medical underwriting, which may mean higher premiums or denial of coverage. A few states have additional rules or annual windows, so confirm your own state's protections before assuming you can switch freely later.

To enroll in Plan N you must already have Original Medicare Part A and Part B. You buy the Medigap policy from a private insurer, not from the government — Medigap supplements Original Medicare and cannot be paired with a Medicare Advantage plan.