Medicare Supplement Plan G is the most popular Medigap policy sold to new Medicare beneficiaries in 2026, and for good reason: it closes almost every cost gap that Original Medicare leaves open. Original Medicare Part A and Part B cover a large share of your medical costs, but the remaining coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles can add up to thousands of dollars a year if you never get sick and tens of thousands if you do. Plan G, sold by private insurance companies but standardized by federal law, absorbs nearly all of that remaining cost.
The sections below cover exactly what Medicare Supplement Plan G covers in 2026, what it leaves out, how it compares to Plan N and the newer High-Deductible Plan G, and what enrolling actually costs. For a side-by-side comparison, see Plan G vs Plan N, and for premium ranges by state, see the cheapest Medicare Supplement Plan G.
Coverage Breakdown
| Medicare Gap (2026 Amount) | Plan G | Plan N | High-Deductible Plan G |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part A hospital deductible ($1,736) | Covered in full | Covered in full | Covered after $2,950 deductible |
| Part A hospital coinsurance, days 61 to 90 ($434/day) and lifetime reserve days ($868/day) | Covered in full | Covered in full | Covered after $2,950 deductible |
| Part A hospice care coinsurance/copayment | Covered in full | Covered in full | Covered after $2,950 deductible |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance, days 21 to 100 ($217/day) | Covered in full | Covered in full | Covered after $2,950 deductible |
| Part B coinsurance (20% of approved amount) | Covered in full | Covered, but $20 office visit / $50 ER copay may apply | Covered after $2,950 deductible |
| Part B excess charges (up to 15% above approved amount) | Covered in full | Not covered; you may owe the excess charge | Covered after $2,950 deductible |
| Part B annual deductible ($283) | Not covered; you pay this each year | Not covered; you pay this each year | Counts toward the $2,950 combined deductible |
| Foreign travel emergency care | Covered at 80% up to plan lifetime limit | Covered at 80% up to plan lifetime limit | Covered at 80% after deductible, up to plan lifetime limit |
Plan G, Plan N, and High-Deductible Plan G benefits are standardized by federal law in every state except Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Premiums differ by insurer even though the benefits shown here are identical nationwide in 2026.
Source: Medicare.gov Medigap Policies, CMS CY2026 Medigap High-Deductible Options (F, G, J), CMS 2026 Medicare Parts A and B Premiums and Deductibles Fact Sheet
Quick Answer: Does Plan G Cover Your Medicare Gaps?
Yes. Medicare Supplement Plan G covers nearly every out-of-pocket cost Original Medicare leaves behind, including the Part A hospital deductible, Part A and Part B coinsurance, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, and Part B excess charges. The only gap Plan G does not close in 2026 is the annual Part B deductible, which is $283. High-Deductible Plan G covers the same benefits but requires you to pay a $2,950 deductible first.
What Original Medicare Leaves You Owing in 2026
Original Medicare Part A and Part B pay a large share of covered costs, but the two programs leave several gaps that fall entirely on the beneficiary in 2026. Part A charges a $1,736 deductible for each benefit period, then $434 a day in coinsurance for hospital days 61 through 90, and $868 a day for each of the 60 lifetime reserve days. A skilled nursing facility stay adds $217 a day in coinsurance for days 21 through 100. Part B charges a separate $283 annual deductible, then 20 percent coinsurance on most outpatient services with no annual cap, and doctors who do not accept Medicare assignment can add Part B excess charges of up to 15 percent on top of that. None of these gaps close on their own; a beneficiary without supplemental coverage pays every one of them out of pocket.
A single hospitalization that stretches past 60 days can generate more than $4,000 in Part A coinsurance alone in 2026, before counting the deductible or any Part B charges from the same stay. Medicare Supplement Plan G exists specifically to absorb these costs.
What Medicare Supplement Plan G Covers in 2026
Medicare Supplement Plan G pays for nearly every gap listed above. The plan covers the Part A hospital deductible in full, the Part A hospital and hospice coinsurance amounts, the 20 percent Part B coinsurance on outpatient services, the skilled nursing facility coinsurance for days 21 through 100, the first three pints of blood used in a transfusion, and Part B excess charges up to the full 15 percent. Because Original Medicare and Plan G work together, you show both cards, your red, white, and blue Medicare card and your Plan G insurance card, at every appointment.
- Part A hospital deductible ($1,736 in 2026): covered in full
- Part A coinsurance for hospital days 61 to 90 ($434/day in 2026) and lifetime reserve days ($868/day): covered in full
- Part A hospice care coinsurance/copayment: covered
- Skilled nursing facility coinsurance, days 21 to 100 ($217/day in 2026): covered in full
- Part B coinsurance (the 20 percent Original Medicare does not pay): covered in full
- Part B excess charges (up to 15 percent above the Medicare-approved amount): covered in full
- Blood (first 3 pints per year): covered
- Foreign travel emergency care: covered at 80 percent up to plan lifetime limits
What Plan G Does Not Cover
Plan G leaves exactly one Original Medicare gap unpaid: the annual Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026. Every enrollee pays that amount once a year before Plan G's coverage kicks in for outpatient costs; after that, the plan pays essentially everything Medicare approves. Plan G also does not cover services Original Medicare never covers in the first place, including routine dental care, eyeglasses and routine vision exams, hearing aids, long-term custodial care, and outpatient prescription drugs. Beneficiaries who want drug coverage need a separate stand-alone Medicare Part D plan, and those who want dental, vision, or hearing benefits typically buy a separate ancillary policy.
Unlike an ACA-compliant marketplace plan, Plan G is not required to include the ACA's essential health benefits such as maternity care or pediatric dental, because it supplements Original Medicare rather than replacing it. Plan G also cannot legally deny you for a preexisting condition or charge you a higher premium because of one, as long as you apply during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period or a guaranteed-issue window.