In short
- Both plans leave you the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026) and cover the rest of your Medicare-approved costs, apart from Plan N's copays.
- Plan N adds copays of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for ER visits that don't end in an inpatient admission.
- Only Plan G (and Plan F) covers Part B excess charges, which can run up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount.
- Break-even rule of thumb: every $10 a month Plan N saves you covers six $20 office copays a year.
- Switching from N to G later can mean medical underwriting, so choose with the next 10 years in mind.
Plan G vs Plan N at a glance
| Feature | Plan G | Plan N |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly premium | Higher of the two; set by carrier, age, ZIP and tobacco use | Typically lower than Plan G from the same company, since it covers less |
| Part B deductible | You pay it ($283 in 2026) | You pay it ($283 in 2026) |
| Part A hospital deductible | Covered ($1,736 per benefit period in 2026) | Covered ($1,736 per benefit period in 2026) |
| Doctor office visits | No copay after the Part B deductible | Copay of up to $20 for some visits |
| Emergency room visit, not admitted | No copay after the Part B deductible | Copay of up to $50; none if you are admitted as an inpatient |
| Part B excess charges | Covered in full | Not covered (up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount) |
| Skilled nursing, days 21 to 100 | Covered ($217 a day coinsurance in 2026) | Covered ($217 a day coinsurance in 2026) |
| Foreign travel emergency | 80% up to plan limits | 80% up to plan limits |
| Doctors you can see | Any U.S. provider that takes Medicare, no network | Any U.S. provider that takes Medicare, no network |
| Yearly cost for Medicare-covered care | The Part B deductible ($283 in 2026) | The Part B deductible plus copays and any excess charges, with no set cap |
The short answer
Choose Plan G if you see doctors often, use specialists who may not accept assignment, or want one predictable yearly cost. Choose Plan N if you rarely see a doctor, your doctors accept assignment, and your quotes show a premium gap bigger than the copays you expect to pay.
Plan G and Plan N are the two Medicare Supplement plans most people new to Medicare end up choosing between. They cover the same large costs. The real question is whether Plan N's lower premium is worth a few copays and a small risk of excess charges.
What is the difference between Plan G and Plan N?
Three things separate them, and everything else is the same. Plan N charges a copay of up to $20 for some office visits, charges up to $50 for an emergency room visit that does not lead to an inpatient admission, and does not pay Part B excess charges. Plan G has none of those gaps.
Both plans:
- Leave you the Part B deductible, $283 in 2026. The 2027 amount is usually announced in November.
- Pay the Part A hospital deductible ($1,736 per benefit period in 2026) and hospital coinsurance.
- Pay skilled nursing coinsurance for days 21 to 100 ($217 a day in 2026).
- Cover 80% of foreign travel emergency care, up to plan limits.
- Work with any provider in the country that accepts Medicare, with no network.
If you want the full plan details, see our pages on Medigap Plan G and Medigap Plan N.
What are Part B excess charges, and how likely are you to see one?
An excess charge is the extra a doctor can bill when they do not accept Medicare assignment. In many cases it is capped at 15% above the Medicare-approved amount. Medicare.gov says most doctors, providers and suppliers accept assignment, so this is a "check, don't panic" item.
Here is what it looks like. Say a non-participating surgeon's Medicare-approved amount for a procedure is $1,000. They could bill you up to $150 more. Plan G pays that $150. With Plan N, it is yours.
The practical step: ask your regular doctors and any specialist you expect to see whether they accept assignment. If you split time out of state, read our page on Medicare when you travel, since you may see doctors you have not checked.
How much would each plan cost you in a real year?
Your total cost is the premium plus what you pay when you get care. Using 2026 numbers, here are two sample years. Premiums are left out because they vary by company, age, ZIP code and tobacco use.
| Sample year | Plan G out of pocket | Plan N out of pocket |
|---|---|---|
| 4 office visits, no ER | $283 | $283 + up to $80 in copays = up to $363 |
| 10 office visits, 1 ER visit (not admitted) | $283 | $283 + up to $200 + $50 = up to $533 |
| Surgery with an excess charge of $150 | $283 | $283 + copays + $150 |
| 3-day hospital stay | $283 at most | $283 at most, plus any office copays |
Notice the hospital row. Both plans pay the $1,736 Part A deductible, so a hospital stay is not where these plans differ. The gap shows up in routine care.
Where is the break-even point between Plan G and Plan N?
Plan N saves money when the premium you save in a year is more than the copays and excess charges you pay. Get Plan G and Plan N quotes from the same company, find the monthly difference, and use this table.
| Monthly premium difference | Yearly savings with Plan N | $20 office copays that would use it up |
|---|---|---|
| $10 | $120 | 6 |
| $20 | $240 | 12 |
| $30 | $360 | 18 |
| $40 | $480 | 24 |
How big is the gap in practice? We checked the Medicare.gov Medigap tool for a 65-year-old in Lincoln (ZIP 68508) on October 2, 2026. Comparing each company's Plan G estimate with its own Plan N estimate, the monthly gap ran from about $13 to about $90, depending on the company. Those are estimates, not quotes, and they change with age, sex and tobacco use.
At a $50 gap, Plan N saves $600 a year, which is 30 office copays. One ER visit without an admission uses $50 of that savings, and a single excess charge can use more. If your gap is small, Plan G's predictability costs very little extra. If the gap is large and you are healthy, Plan N can put real money back in your pocket.
Who is Plan G a better fit for?
Plan G fits people who want one predictable cost. You pay the premium and the Part B deductible, and you are done for Medicare-covered care.
- You see a doctor or specialist many times a year.
- You manage a chronic condition with regular follow-ups.
- Your specialists, or the ones you might need, do not all accept assignment.
- You like budgeting a fixed number and not thinking about copays.
Who is Plan N a better fit for?
Plan N fits healthy people who rarely see a doctor and want a lower premium. The copays are small and known ahead of time.
- You see a doctor a handful of times a year.
- Your doctors accept Medicare assignment.
- Your quotes show a meaningful monthly gap, using the table above.
- You are comfortable that moving to Plan G later may require answering health questions.
What mistakes do people make choosing between G and N?
The most common mistake is comparing premiums and nothing else. A plan that is $15 a month cheaper is $180 a year, which nine office copays wipe out.
Other mistakes we see:
- Thinking Plan G covers everything. It does not cover the Part B deductible. Only Plans C and F did, and only people eligible for Medicare before 2020 can buy those. See Plan G vs Plan F.
- Planning to switch later without knowing the rules. Your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period is 6 months, starting the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older. Nebraska has no birthday rule for switching each year. After that window, the Nebraska Department of Insurance says, "companies may refuse coverage because of health reasons."
- Assuming fall enrollment covers Medigap. The October 15 to December 7 Annual Enrollment Period is for Medicare Advantage and Part D. It gives no new right to change Medigap plans.
- Ignoring how the premium is priced. Ask whether the policy is community-rated, issue-age-rated or attained-age-rated. The Department of Insurance says most Nebraska policies are attained-age rated, so premiums rise as you get older. That shapes your premium at 75 and 85, not just at 65.
- Forgetting the lower-premium middle option. If you are healthy and want the lowest premium, also look at High-Deductible Plan G.
Where can you get an unbiased second opinion?
You can check any of this yourself. Medicare.gov has a Medigap policy search, and 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (TTY 1-877-486-2048). Nebraska SHIP (formerly SHIIP), the state's counseling program, gives unbiased Medicare help at 1-800-234-7119. Our page on SHIP and other local help explains who does what.
If you would like to run your own numbers with quotes from several companies, talk to me. My help costs you nothing.
Frequently asked questions
No. Neither plan covers the Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026. Only Plans C and F cover it, and those can only be sold to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Once you pay the $283, Plan G covers the rest of your Medicare-approved costs, and Plan N does the same except for its office and ER copays and any excess charges.
It is an extra amount a doctor who does not accept Medicare assignment can bill on top of the Medicare-approved amount. In many cases it cannot be more than 15% above that amount. Most doctors, providers and suppliers accept assignment, so many people never see an excess charge, but it is worth asking your doctors. Plan G pays excess charges in full. Plan N does not, so you would pay them.
Divide the yearly premium difference by $20. If Plan N saves you $20 a month, that is $240 a year, which equals 12 office copays of $20. If you expect more than 12 copay visits a year, or a few ER visits that do not lead to an admission, Plan G likely costs less in total. Fewer visits than that and Plan N likely comes out ahead.
You can apply, but outside your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period and guaranteed issue situations, insurers can use medical underwriting. That means they can ask health questions and turn you down or charge more. Nebraska has no birthday rule, and the fall Annual Enrollment Period does not give you a right to change Medigap plans. If you think you may want Plan G later, consider starting with it.
No. Standard Plan G and Plan N policies work with any doctor or hospital in the United States that accepts Medicare, with no referrals needed. The exception is a Medicare SELECT policy, a version of a Medigap plan that uses a network of hospitals in exchange for a lower premium. Ask whether a quote is a SELECT policy before you buy.
Most likely, yes. Medigap premiums can rise with inflation and claims, and how they change with age depends on the pricing method: community-rated, issue-age-rated or attained-age-rated. Ask each company which method it uses and how its rates have moved in recent years. The same rating question applies to both Plan G and Plan N.
Sources
- Medicare.gov: Compare Medigap plan benefits (opens in a new tab)
- Medicare.gov: Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS Product No. 02110, March 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Medicare.gov: Does your provider accept Medicare as full payment? (opens in a new tab)
- CMS: 2026 Medicare Parts A and B premiums and deductibles (opens in a new tab)
- Nebraska Department of Insurance: Medicare Supplement Fact Sheet 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Medicare.gov: Find a Medigap policy (opens in a new tab)
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
