Medigap Plan G usually costs somewhere between about $150 and $320 a month at age 65, and more as you get older. Plan G pays almost every Medicare-covered cost Original Medicare leaves behind. The one thing it does not pay is the Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026. CMS has not yet published the 2027 Part B deductible. It usually does that in mid-November. For a real price check, we used Iowa's official rate guide (premiums effective October 1, 2026). It lists 31 insurers. The middle Plan G price was $201 a month at 65, $219 at 70, $258 at 75 and $311 at 80. Your price will differ by state, ZIP code, insurer, sex, tobacco use and pricing method. Treat these as examples, not quotes.
If you want the full 10-plan grid or the high-deductible version of Plan G, see our Medicare Supplement Plans 2027 comparison chart. This page covers standard Plan G only: what you pay, why it rises with age, and whether it fits you.
What Medigap Plan G Covers
Medigap plans are standardized by letter in every state except Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin. A Plan G from one company has exactly the same benefits as a Plan G from any other company. The premium, the customer service and the company's history of rate increases are what differ.
| Cost Original Medicare leaves you | Does Plan G pay it? | 2026 amount (official, CMS) |
|---|
| Part A hospital deductible, per benefit period | Yes, 100% | $1,736 |
| Hospital coinsurance, days 61 to 90 | Yes, 100% | $434 a day |
| Lifetime reserve days | Yes, 100% | $868 a day |
| 365 extra hospital days after Medicare runs out | Yes, 100% | Not applicable |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance, days 21 to 100 | Yes, 100% | $217 a day |
| Part B coinsurance (usually 20% of the approved amount) | Yes, 100% | Varies by service |
| Part B excess charges (up to 15% above Medicare's rate) | Yes, 100% | Varies by provider |
| First 3 pints of blood | Yes, 100% | Varies |
| Hospice coinsurance | Yes, 100% | Varies |
| Foreign travel emergency care | 80%, after a $250 deductible, up to $50,000 lifetime | Not applicable |
| Part B deductible | No | $283 |
Sources: CMS fact sheet "2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles" (November 14, 2025) and Medicare's "Compare Medigap plan benefits" chart.
In plain terms: after you pay the $283 Part B deductible for the year, Plan G pays the rest of your share for services Medicare covers. That covers a hospital stay, surgery, chemotherapy, dialysis or a rehab stay in a skilled nursing facility. The only plan that covered more was Plan F, which also paid the Part B deductible. Plan F is closed to anyone who first became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020.
What Plan G does not cover
No Medigap plan sold today covers:
- Prescription drugs. You need a separate Part D plan. For 2027, the Part D out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs is $2,400, up from $2,100 in 2026.
- Routine dental, vision, hearing aids or eyeglasses.
- Long-term custodial care, meaning help with daily living in a nursing home or at home when it is not skilled care.
- Your Part B premium. You still pay Medicare's own monthly premium on top of the Plan G premium.
Plan G Cost by Age: A Real State Example
The table below comes from the Iowa Medicare Supplement & Premium Comparison Guide, published by the Iowa Insurance Division's Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP). Premiums are effective October 1, 2026. We took the Plan G column for all 31 insurers listed and found the lowest, middle (median) and highest price at each age.
| Age | Lowest Plan G | Median Plan G | Highest Plan G | Median per year |
|---|
| 65 | $154 a month | $201 a month | $314 a month | $2,415 |
| 70 | $158 a month | $219 a month | $363 a month | $2,629 |
| 75 | $186 a month | $258 a month | $442 a month | $3,097 |
| 80 | $230 a month | $311 a month | $522 a month | $3,727 |
Monthly figures are the guide's annual premiums divided by 12 and rounded.
How to read this table:
- These are rates for men. The guide prints male rates and notes that most insurers charge women less.
- They are each company's best rates. They assume you buy during your Medigap open enrollment period or with a guaranteed issue right. Buy later with health conditions and the price can be higher, or the company can turn you down.
- They are Iowa prices. Some companies price by ZIP code. Where they do, the guide shows the Des Moines area. Premiums in Florida, New York, California or Texas can look very different.
- Smokers pay more at most companies. Many offer a household discount when two people in the home buy a policy.
Use this as a picture of how Plan G pricing behaves, not as a number to budget around. To see real prices for where you live, use your own state's guide or the Medicare.gov plan finder. Both are covered in the steps below.
Why the price climbs with age
In Iowa's guide, 29 of the 31 companies use attained-age pricing. The median Plan G premium at 80 was about 54% higher than at 65. Insurers price Medigap in one of three ways:
| Pricing method | How it works | What happens over time |
|---|
| Attained-age rated | Based on your current age | Goes up as you get older, plus general increases |
| Issue-age rated | Based on your age when you bought the policy | Does not rise because of age, but can rise for inflation and claims |
| Community rated | Same price for everyone regardless of age | Does not rise because of age, but can rise for inflation and claims |
A few states, including New York, Connecticut and Vermont, require community rating. Most states allow attained-age pricing, which is why the cheapest Plan G at 65 is often an attained-age policy. Ask any company two questions: which method it uses, and how much its Plan G rates have gone up in each of the last three years. Every method can raise rates for reasons other than age. No insurer can promise your premium will stay the same.
The same plan, very different prices
At age 65 in the Iowa guide, the cheapest Plan G cost $1,853 a year and the most expensive cost $3,767 a year. The benefits were identical. That gap of about $1,900 a year is the strongest reason to compare companies before you buy. The plan letter decides what you get. The company decides what you pay.
What Plan G Costs You in a Full Year
Your total yearly cost with Plan G is mostly predictable. It is the Plan G premium, plus the Part B premium, plus the Part B deductible. Here is a worst-case year for Medicare-covered services, using the Iowa median at 65 and the official 2026 Medicare amounts:
| Cost | Amount (2026) |
|---|
| Plan G premium (Iowa median, age 65) | $2,415 |
| Part B standard premium ($202.90 x 12) | $2,434.80 |
| Part B deductible | $283 |
| Hospital stays, surgery, Part B coinsurance, excess charges | $0 |
| Total for Medicare-covered care | About $5,133 |
This leaves out drug costs and the Part D premium, dental, vision and hearing. People with higher incomes also pay more for Part B through the income-related surcharge, which starts above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.
The comparison that matters: without a supplement, Original Medicare has no yearly cap on your 20% share of Part B costs. One cancer treatment or heart surgery can produce a bill in the tens of thousands of dollars. With Plan G, your exposure for covered care is the $283 deductible.
The 2027 numbers are not out yet. CMS has not published the 2027 Part B premium, Part B deductible or Part A deductible as of November 4, 2026. Figures online labeled "2027 Part B deductible" are projections. When CMS releases the 2027 fact sheet, the only line in Plan G's math that changes is the Part B deductible. Everything else Plan G pays stays covered, whatever the new amounts are.
High-Deductible Plan G in 2027
Some companies also sell a high-deductible Plan G. It has the same benefits as standard Plan G. But you pay the first $3,050 in 2027 ($2,950 in 2026) of covered costs before the policy pays anything. In exchange, the premium is much lower. In the Iowa guide, 15 companies sold high-deductible Plan G, and 14 of them charged a 65-year-old less than $1,000 a year for it. It can make sense for healthy people who could cover $3,050 in a bad year. Our 2027 comparison chart covers it in more detail.
Who Plan G Fits, and Who Might Choose Something Else
Plan G tends to fit people who:
- Became eligible for Medicare in 2020 or later and want the most complete coverage they can still buy.
- See specialists often or have a chronic condition, so the 20% Part B share would add up fast.
- Want to see any doctor who takes Medicare, anywhere in the country, with no network and no referrals.
- Travel abroad and want some emergency coverage overseas.
- Can afford the premium now and later. Plan G's premium is a fixed cost that tends to rise. Plan for the price at 75 and 80, not just at 65.
Other options can fit better if you:
- Are mostly healthy and want a lower premium. Plan N usually costs less than Plan G. In exchange it has copays of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for some ER visits, and it does not cover excess charges.
- Could absorb a $3,050 year. High-deductible Plan G trades a much lower premium for a larger deductible.
- Want drug coverage and extras in one plan with a low or $0 premium. A Medicare Advantage plan works differently, with networks and an out-of-pocket cap instead of a supplement. Our Medicare Advantage vs Medigap guide walks through that choice.
- Have limited income and savings. You may qualify for a Medicare Savings Program, which can pay your Part B premium. Some programs also pay Medicare's deductibles and coinsurance. If you qualify for full Medicaid, you generally do not need a Medigap policy at all. Your state Medicaid office or SHIP counselor can check.
Already got Plan F before 2020? You can keep it. Some people switch from F to G to save on premiums, since the only difference is the $283 deductible. But outside your open enrollment period, most states let the new company use medical underwriting. Get approved for the new policy before you cancel the old one.
When to Buy Plan G
The timing of your purchase can matter as much as the plan you pick.
- Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It is the six months starting the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older. During this window, any company selling Plan G in your state must sell it to you at its standard rate, regardless of your health.
- After those six months, most states let insurers ask health questions and charge more or decline you. Some states, including California, Oregon, Missouri, Nevada and Idaho, give existing policyholders yearly switching windows. New Mexico adds one on January 1, 2027.
- Guaranteed issue rights reopen access in certain situations, usually with a 63-day deadline. Examples include your Medicare Advantage plan leaving your area, or employer coverage ending. If you became eligible in 2020 or later, those rights let you buy Plan G.
- Medicare's fall Open Enrollment (October 15 to December 7) is for Medicare Advantage and Part D, not Medigap. It does not give you a guaranteed right to buy Plan G.
Under 65 and on Medicare because of a disability? Federal law does not guarantee you a Medigap policy. Some states require insurers to offer one, often at a much higher price. Check your state insurance department.
How to Check Plan G Prices Where You Live
- Find your state's Medigap rate guide. Many state insurance departments and SHIP programs publish one each year with every company's Plan G price. Iowa's is the source for the table above.
- Use the Medicare.gov Medigap plan finder at medicare.gov/medigap-supplemental-insurance-plans. Enter your ZIP code to see which companies sell Plan G in your area.
- Get prices from at least three companies for the same letter, at your age, sex and tobacco status.
- Ask each company: Which pricing method do you use? What were your Plan G rate increases in recent years? Do you offer a household discount?
- Call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Counseling is free and not tied to any insurer. Find yours at shiphelp.org or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.
- Add a Part D plan if you need drug coverage. Plan G does not include it.
For a basic explanation of how Medigap works with Original Medicare, see our Medigap explainer. CoveredUSA also has a short Plan G answer page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is Plan G per month?
It depends on your state, ZIP code, age, sex, tobacco use and the insurer. In Iowa's official guide (premiums effective October 1, 2026), Plan G for a 65-year-old man ranged from about $154 to $314 a month, with a median of about $201. At 80, the median was about $311. Prices in other states can be higher or lower.
What is the Plan G deductible for 2027?
Standard Plan G has no deductible of its own. You pay Medicare's Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026. CMS has not published the 2027 Part B deductible yet. It usually does that in mid-November. High-deductible Plan G is different: its deductible is officially $3,050 for 2027.
Does Plan G cover prescription drugs?
No. No Medigap plan sold today covers outpatient prescription drugs. You need a separate Part D plan. The Part D out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs is $2,400 in 2027.
Does the Plan G premium go up every year?
It can. Attained-age policies rise as you age, and all policies can rise for inflation and claims costs. In Iowa's guide, the median Plan G premium at 80 was about 54% higher than at 65. No company can promise your rate will not change.
Is Plan G the same with every insurance company?
Yes. Benefits are standardized by federal law, so every Plan G covers the same things. Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin use their own standardized plans. The price, customer service and rate-increase history differ by company.
Can I switch to Plan G later?
You can apply at any time. But outside your Medigap open enrollment period or a guaranteed issue situation, most states let insurers check your health. They can charge more or decline you. A few states give yearly switching windows. Never cancel your current policy until the new one is approved.
Is Plan G worth it compared with Plan N?
Plan G costs more each month but leaves you only the Part B deductible. Plan N costs less but adds office and ER copays and does not cover excess charges. If you see doctors often or want predictable costs, Plan G is often the steadier choice. If you rarely use care, Plan N or high-deductible Plan G may cost less overall.
