Medigap and Medicare Advantage are two different ways to deal with the costs Original Medicare leaves behind. Medigap (also called Medicare Supplement Insurance) is a policy you add on top of Original Medicare. Medicare Advantage (Part C) is a private plan you join instead of Original Medicare. It must cover all medically necessary services Original Medicare covers.
The table below lists the real differences, using Medicare's own rules. For the bigger picture of Medicare Advantage versus Original Medicare without a Medigap policy, see Medicare Advantage vs Original Medicare.
Coverage Breakdown
Direct Answer: Which Covers More?
It depends on what you mean by more. Medigap covers more of your costs for Medicare services. With Plan G, for example, you pay the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026) and Medigap pays the rest of what Medicare leaves you owing for covered care. Medicare Advantage can cover more kinds of care, like some dental, vision and hearing, but you pay copays and coinsurance up to the plan's yearly limit.
Neither one is better for everyone. Which one fits you depends on your doctors, how often you travel, how much care you expect to need, and how you feel about a higher monthly premium versus paying more when you get care.
How Original Medicare Plus Medigap Works
Original Medicare leaves you with costs. In 2026, Part A has a $1,736 deductible for each benefit period, and Part B has a $283 yearly deductible, then you usually pay 20% with no yearly limit. A Medigap policy pays some or all of those costs. Medicare pays its share first, then the Medigap policy pays its share.
Plan G pays every benefit on the standard Medigap chart except the Part B deductible, including Part B excess charges. For emergency care outside the U.S., it pays 80%. Plan N is similar, but you pay up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for an emergency room visit when you aren't admitted, and it does not pay Part B excess charges. Plans C and F are sold only to people who were eligible for Medicare before 2020.
The catch is timing. Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period lasts 6 months. It starts the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older, and it happens only once. In that window an insurer must sell you any policy it offers, at a price that does not depend on your health. After it, an insurer can ask health questions, turn you down or charge you more, unless you have a guaranteed issue right. Some states give wider rights. For example, in California, if you have a Medigap plan, you can switch to a plan with equal or fewer benefits during the 60 days that start on your birthday each year.
How Medicare Advantage Works
Medicare Advantage plans are run by private companies approved by Medicare. They must cover all medically necessary services Original Medicare covers, but they set their own copays and rules. Most include drug coverage. Many add extras Original Medicare doesn't cover, like some vision, hearing and dental care.
Every plan has a yearly limit on what you pay for covered Medicare services. Once you reach it, you pay nothing for covered services for the rest of the year. The federal maximum in network is $9,250 in 2026 and $9,850 in 2027. For in-network and out-of-network care combined, it is $13,900 in 2026 and $14,800 in 2027. Each plan can set a lower limit.
The trade-off is the rules. You may need to use the plan's doctors for non-emergency care, get a referral to see a specialist, and get the plan's approval before certain services.
Why Medicare Advantage Often Costs Less Each Month
Everyone pays the Part B premium either way ($202.90 a month in 2026, more for higher incomes). With Medigap, you add a Medigap premium and usually a drug plan premium. With Medicare Advantage, you add the plan's premium, and some plans have a $0 premium. So Medicare Advantage often costs less each month.
The difference shows up when you get care. In a Medicare Advantage plan you pay copays and coinsurance, up to the plan's yearly limit. With a Medigap plan like G, after the Part B deductible you usually pay little or nothing more for Medicare-covered care. A year with a hospital stay, a stay in a skilled nursing facility or lots of specialist visits is where the two can differ most.
Travel and Seeing Doctors Away From Home
With Original Medicare and Medigap, you can use any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that takes Medicare. A Medicare Advantage plan may require you to use doctors in its network and service area for non-emergency care. Outside the U.S., Original Medicare generally doesn't pay, but Plans C, D, F, G, M and N pay 80% of emergency care, up to plan limits, after a $250 yearly deductible. Medicare Advantage plans generally don't cover care outside the U.S., though some offer it as an extra.
Switching Later: What You Can and Can't Do
You can join, switch or leave a Medicare Advantage plan each fall from October 15 to December 7. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you also get one change from January 1 to March 31; the next one runs January 1 to March 31, 2027.
Getting a Medigap policy after you leave Medicare Advantage is a separate question. Medigap is not tied to those dates. Outside your open enrollment period, an insurer can ask health questions unless you have a guaranteed issue right. You do have one if you joined Medicare Advantage when you first got Medicare at 65 and leave within the first year (you can buy any Medigap policy). You also have one if you dropped a Medigap policy to try Medicare Advantage for the first time and leave within a year, or if your plan ends or leaves your area. See guaranteed issue rights for every situation and deadline.
How to Compare Your Options
Medicare's plan finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare shows the Medicare Advantage and drug plans in your area, with cost estimates for your drugs. Because every Medigap policy with the same letter has the same benefits, the price is what you compare between companies.
- Enter your ZIP code and your drugs at medicare.gov/plan-compare.
- Check whether your doctors and hospital are in each plan's network.
- Compare the plan's yearly limit, not just its premium.
- For Medigap, check whether you are in your 6-month open enrollment period or have a guaranteed issue right.
- Get free, unbiased counseling from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program at shiphelp.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medigap better than Medicare Advantage?
Neither is better for everyone. Medigap with Original Medicare lets you use any doctor in the U.S. that takes Medicare and pays most of what Medicare leaves you owing, but you pay a separate premium. Medicare Advantage often has a lower premium and may add dental, vision and hearing, but you may need to use a network, get approval first, and pay copays up to a yearly limit. The right fit depends on your doctors, travel and expected care.
Can I have both Medigap and Medicare Advantage?
No. You can't use a Medigap policy to pay Medicare Advantage costs, and it is illegal for anyone to sell you a Medigap policy while you have a Medicare Advantage plan. If you are leaving a Medicare Advantage plan to go back to Original Medicare, you can apply for Medigap before the plan ends.
Why is Medicare Advantage cheaper than Medigap?
Usually it is only cheaper each month. With Medigap you pay a Medigap premium on top of Part B, plus a drug plan premium. Many Medicare Advantage plans have a low premium, and some have a $0 premium. But in Medicare Advantage you pay copays and coinsurance when you get care, up to a yearly limit of as much as $9,250 in network in 2026 and $9,850 in 2027.
Does Medigap cover more for skilled nursing care than Medicare Advantage?
Medigap Plans C, D, F, G, M and N pay 100% of your skilled nursing facility coinsurance; Plan K pays 50% and Plan L 75%. Plans A and B pay none of it. A Medicare Advantage plan covers skilled nursing care too, but what you pay depends on the plan, up to its yearly limit.
What is the difference between Medigap Plan G and Plan N?
Plan G pays every benefit on the standard Medigap chart except the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026). Plan N also leaves you the Part B deductible, plus copays of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for an emergency room visit when you aren't admitted. Plan N also does not pay Part B excess charges, which some doctors who don't accept Medicare's full payment can bill. Plan G does pay them. See what Plan G covers.
What is the Medicare Advantage out-of-pocket limit for 2026 and 2027?
The federal maximum is $9,250 for in-network care in 2026 and $9,850 in 2027. For in-network and out-of-network care combined, it is $13,900 in 2026 and $14,800 in 2027. Each plan can set a lower limit. Once you reach it, you pay nothing for covered services for the rest of the year.
Can I switch from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare and get Medigap?
You can leave Medicare Advantage from October 15 to December 7, or from January 1 to March 31 if you are already in a plan. Getting Medigap is a separate step. An insurer can ask health questions unless you are in your Medigap Open Enrollment Period or have a guaranteed issue right, such as leaving within the first year after joining Medicare Advantage at 65, or your plan ending. See guaranteed issue rights.
Does Medigap cover dental or vision?
No. Medigap generally doesn't cover vision, dental care or hearing aids. Some Medicare Advantage plans include some dental, vision and hearing benefits. With Original Medicare, you can buy a separate dental policy.
