The mail starts before your birthday. A dozen envelopes, a dozen company names. Most people look at the stack and decide it is impossible to sort out.
Here is what almost nobody explains first. Medicare Supplement benefits are set by federal law. A Plan G from one company covers exactly what a Plan G from another covers. So when you compare Medicare Supplement plans, you are not really comparing companies. You are picking a letter, then checking whether you are still inside a window that lets you buy it.
This post covers the three letters most people buy in 2026, Plan G, Plan N, and High-Deductible Plan G, and the enrollment rules that decide whether the choice is still yours.
The Letters Are Standardized. The Companies Are Not.
Medicare Supplement plans, also called Medigap, are labeled with letters. Each letter is a fixed package of benefits defined in federal law. The official Medicare.gov chart of Medigap benefits shows the whole grid, and it makes the point better than we can.
So what does vary between companies? Three things: the premium, how steadily it rises over the years, and how you get treated when you call. That is why the right way to compare Medicare Supplement plans starts with the letter, not the logo.
This post assumes you know roughly how Part A and Part B work. If that is still fuzzy, start with our walkthrough of Medicare basics and how you qualify.
What Original Medicare Leaves You Owing in 2026
Before you compare Medicare Supplement plans, it helps to see the gaps as real numbers. Here is what Medicare.gov lists for 2026.
On the hospital side, the Part A deductible is $1,736. Read that carefully: it is per benefit period, not per year. Two separate stays far enough apart, and you can owe it twice. Days 61 through 90 add $434 per day. Lifetime reserve days add $868. Skilled nursing runs $217 per day for days 21 through 100.
On the outpatient side, the Part B deductible is $283. After that, Medicare generally pays 80% of approved charges and you pay 20%.
That 20% is the part to sit with. Original Medicare has no annual out-of-pocket maximum. There is no point in the year where your share stops. That gap is the reason Medigap exists.
You also keep paying the standard Part B premium, $202.90 a month, whether or not you add a supplement. These are 2026 figures. CMS resets them yearly and announces the next year’s in the fall.
How to Compare Medicare Supplement Plans: G, N, and High-Deductible G
Three letters cover most of what people buy today. Here is how they line up, built from the Medicare.gov chart.
| Benefit | Plan G | Plan N | High-Deductible Plan G |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part A deductible | 100% | 100% | 100%, after deductible |
| Part A coinsurance, plus 365 extra days | 100% | 100% | 100%, after deductible |
| Part B coinsurance | 100% | 100%, minus visit copays | 100%, after deductible |
| Part B deductible | Not covered | Not covered | Not covered |
| Part B excess charges | 100% | Not covered | 100%, after deductible |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance | 100% | 100% | 100%, after deductible |
| Blood (first 3 pints) | 100% | 100% | 100%, after deductible |
| Part A hospice coinsurance | 100% | 100% | 100%, after deductible |
| Foreign travel emergency | 80% to plan limits | 80% to plan limits | 80%, after deductible |
| So what would you pay? | The $283 Part B deductible, then little else | The Part B deductible, visit copays, and any excess charges | Everything up to $2,950, then Plan G benefits |
Plan G
Plan G covers essentially everything Original Medicare leaves behind, except the annual Part B deductible. You pay that $283, and covered services are largely handled after it.
It also covers Part B excess charges, which matters in Utah. More on that in a moment. Plan G carries the highest premium of the three. It fits someone who wants to hand over a card and stop thinking about the bill.
Plan N
Plan N costs less each month. In exchange you accept three tradeoffs, and you should understand all three.
First, copays. The official Medigap guide from Medicare puts the maximums at up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that do not end in admission. If you are admitted, the ER copay goes away.
Second, like Plan G, it does not cover the Part B deductible.
Third, and least understood: Plan N does not cover Part B excess charges. A provider who has not accepted Medicare assignment may bill up to 15% above the approved amount, and Plan N will not pick it up. Utah is not among the handful of states that ban excess charges, so the exposure is real here. In practice it is usually modest, since most Utah providers accept assignment. Ask your own doctors — it is not a reason to rule the plan out.
Plan N fits someone who sees the doctor a few times a year and would rather keep the monthly premium lower.
High-Deductible Plan G
Many people have never heard this version exists. The benefits are identical to standard Plan G. You just pay the first $2,950 of Medicare-covered costs yourself before the policy pays anything. That figure comes from CMS, which sets it annually, and the Part B deductible counts toward it.
The premium is substantially lower. The catch is worth stating plainly: this plan trades certainty for savings, which is close to the opposite of why most people buy a supplement. It fits someone healthy, with reserves to absorb a rough year. Since CMS resets the deductible annually, it also deserves a yearly look.
What about Plan F, K, and L?
Plan F is closed. Anyone who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 cannot buy it. Plenty of readers still hold one, and you can keep it. Worth knowing: closed blocks attract fewer healthy new enrollees over time, which can pressure rates. That is worth a conversation, not a reason to act today.
Plans K and L cover a percentage of costs rather than all of them, but they add an annual out-of-pocket limit — $8,000 for K and $4,000 for L in 2026. Our Medicare Supplement page covers how we work through the letters with clients.
When You Can Actually Buy One
Read this part slowly, because timing matters as much as benefits when you compare Medicare Supplement plans.
Medigap has no annual open enrollment period. The fall window you use to change drug plans or Advantage plans does not apply to supplements. Many people believe it does. It does not.
Your six-month window
Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period starts the first day of the month you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. It runs six months. During it, a company must sell you any plan it offers at the price a healthy person pays.
Medicare.gov states the other side of it directly. Once that period ends, “there’s no federal guarantee that an insurance company will sell you a Medigap policy,” and if one does, it “may cost more due to past or present health problems.”
Guaranteed issue rights
Certain events reopen the door. Losing Medigap coverage through no fault of your own. An Advantage plan leaving the program or your area. Moving out of your plan’s service area. Trial rights, if you tried Advantage for the first time and want back within a year.
These generally give you 63 days after coverage ends, often with a 60-day head start before it does. A non-renewed Advantage plan is the clearest path here, and we walked through it in our post on 2027 Medicare Advantage plan changes.
The Utah birthday rule
This one is new, and it is the strongest reason for a Utah reader to keep going. Utah added a birthday window to state law in 2025. Each year, beginning on your birthday and ending 60 days later, your insurer must let you move to a different plan without medical underwriting.
Now the three limits, because we would rather you hear them from us. The new plan must come from your current company. It must be a comparable or lower tier plan, so this is not a path to upgrade. And it is 60 days, not the whole year.
Used well, it is a real option for someone paying for more plan than they need. It is not an annual do-over.
Outside those windows
You can still apply. The company can ask health questions, review records, and charge more or decline you. That is medical underwriting. It is not always a barrier. It is simply why timing belongs in this conversation.
What a Medicare Supplement Does Not Do
A supplement covers no prescription drugs. None. You need a separate Part D prescription drug plan, and signing up late without other creditable coverage can trigger a penalty that follows you.
It also does not cover routine dental, vision, or hearing. Those are separate purchases.
It also does not work alongside a Medicare Advantage plan. This is either/or, not a combination. A supplement sits on top of Original Medicare, so you cannot layer one over Advantage.
Once You Know Your Letter
Say you have landed on Plan G. From here you compare Medicare Supplement plans on price and track record. The benefits are already settled.
Ask how the policy is rated. Issue-age policies set the premium by your age when you buy. Attained-age policies start lower and climb as you age. Community-rated policies charge everyone the same. All three are legitimate, and the one that looks cheapest at 65 may not at 78.
Then ask about rate history. A pattern of increases over several years tells you more than this year’s quote. An independent agent should show you that unprompted.
Common Questions
Can I switch supplements whenever I want?
No, and this is the most common misunderstanding we hear. You have your six-month window at Part B, specific guaranteed issue events, and Utah’s 60-day birthday window with its limits. Outside those, you can be underwritten.
Does a supplement cover my prescriptions?
No. Medigap covers no drug costs at all. You need a standalone Part D plan alongside it.
Is a more expensive plan a better plan?
Not necessarily. Two Plan G policies cover identical benefits by law, so a higher premium buys no extra coverage. It may reflect the rating method, rate history, or service.
Two Questions, Not Twelve
Strip away the envelopes and it comes down to two things. Which letter matches how you use healthcare? And are you inside a window where you can act without answering health questions? The second one is about your calendar, and it is time-sensitive.
We are glad to work through both with you at no cost. Book a review and we will map your windows, compare Medicare Supplement plans against how you actually use care, and tell you plainly if what you have already fits. You can also browse the Medicare help we offer. If you would rather start with the government’s booklet, Medicare publishes Choosing a Medigap Policy.
Important Disclosures
We are not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.
This is an advertisement and a solicitation for insurance. A licensed insurance agent may contact you.
Medicare Supplement benefits are standardized by federal law, so the same plan letter covers the same benefits from any company. Premiums, rating methods, underwriting standards, and plan availability vary by carrier and by state. The policy documents govern in every case.
The 2026 figures cited here are current as of publication. Medicare cost-sharing amounts and the high-deductible plan deductible are set annually by CMS.
Groberg Insurance Advisors is a licensed independent insurance agency in Utah. We do not offer every plan available in your area. For a complete listing of plans, contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
