What Are The Best Medigap Plans? Here's What You Should Know

There are 10 different types of Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap, plans in most states. But which ones are considered to be the best?

Ultimately, the best Medigap plan boils down to the one that is best for you and your specific health care needs and budget. After all, everyone utilizes the health care system differently, so the best plan for one person may be different than the best plan for their neighbor.

But with that said, let’s examine which plans are considered by most to be generally the best and why.

Questions about Medigap and which plan may be best for you? Visit MedicareSupplement.com or call 855-508-0919 to connect to a licensed insurance agent.

The best Medigap plan overall: Plan F

Plan F is the most popular Medigap plan in terms of market share. 41% of all Medigap plan members are enrolled in Plan F.¹ The plan with the next highest enrollment share, Plan G, accounts for 32% of Medigap enrollees.

One reason for Plan F’s popularity is the robust coverage that it offers. Plan F is the only Medigap plan to provide coverage in all nine of the benefit areas included under Medicare Supplement Insurance.

Using Plan F alongside your Original Medicare benefits will have the most significant impact on your out-of-pocket Medicare spending and is considered the best Medigap plan in terms of total coverage.

The average premium for Medigap Plan F is $202 per month. There is also a high-deductible version of Plan F available in some states. This option allows you to pay a lower monthly premium in exchange for a $2,700 annual deductible.

It’s worth noting, however, that Plan F is only available to those who became eligible for Medicare before Jan. 1, 2020. If you weren’t already eligible for Medicare before that day, keep reading to find the best plan for you.

The best Medigap plan for new enrollees: Plan G

As noted above, those who are newly eligible for Medicare are no longer able to enroll in Medigap Plan F. That leaves Plan G as the Medigap plan with the highest level of coverage available to new Medicare beneficiaries.

Plan G covers everything that Plan F does with just one exception. While Plan F provides full coverage of the Medicare Part B annual deductible, Plan G does not provide any such benefit.

In 2015, Congress passed a law barring Medigap plans from covering the Part B deductible. Plan F and Plan C were allowed to continue covering the deductible for those who became eligible for Medicare before Jan. 1, 2020. But the law prohibited any plans from covering the deductible for beneficiaries who became eligible for Medicare after that date.

The Medicare Part B deductible is $226 per year in 2023. Part B covers doctor’s appointments and other outpatient care and the deductible must be reached before most Part B benefits will kick in.

The average premium for Medigap Plan G in 2023 is $135 per month. Like Plan F, Medigap Plan G has a high-deductible option available in select states. The annual deductible for this version of Plan G is also $2,700.

The best Medigap plan for value: Plan N

There are Medigap plans with lower premiums but also a lower level of coverage. And there are plans with more comprehensive coverage but with higher premiums. Sometimes the best value can be found somewhere in the middle of that spectrum.

Medigap Plan N offers everything you need with nothing you don’t and is a popular option for those in search of a good value. Plan N has the third-highest enrollment share, encompassing 10% of the Medigap market.¹

Plan N covers everything found in Plan F except the Medicare Part B deductible and Medicare Part B excess charges.

Part B excess charges can be accumulated if you receive services or items from a health care provider who does not accept Medicare as full payment and reserves the right to charge up to 15% more than the Medicare-approved rate. But excess charges can be avoided by only visiting doctors who accept Medicare as full payment.

The average premium for Medigap Plan N in 2023 is $110 per month.

Choosing the best Medigap plan for you

However you define the best Medigap plan, there may be one out there that fits your needs.

Compare the coverage of each Medigap plan and speak to a licensed insurance agent about the benefits of each. At the end of the day, the best Medigap plan is the one that’s best for you and your specific needs.

Visit MedicareSupplement.com or call 855-508-0919 today to request your free Medigap plan quote or to connect with a licensed insurance agent.

¹The State of Medicare Supplement Coverage. AHIP. (Feb 2023). https://www.ahip.org/documents/202301-AHIP_MedicareSuppCvg-v03.pdf

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This is a solicitation of insurance. Plan availability varies by carrier and location. Callers will be directed to a licensed insurance agent with TZ Insurance Solutions LLS who can provide more information about Medicare Supplement Insurance plans offered by one or several insurance carrier(s). TZ Insurance Solutions LLC and the licensed agents that may call you are not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or the federal Medicare program. Medicare has neither reviewed nor endorsed the information contained on this website. This is not a complete listing of plans available in your service area. For a complete listing please contact 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY users should call 1-844-486-3578), 24 hours a day/7 days a week or consult www.medicare.gov.