What Medigap Covers (and What It Doesn’t)
Medigap plans (Medicare Supplement Insurance) help pay your share of costs for services covered by Original Medicare Part A and Part B. Each lettered plan (A–N) covers a different mix of benefits, so you can choose the policy that best matches your needs. Not every plan is available in every state.
What’s Covered by Medigap?
All standardized Medigap plans help reduce your out-of-pocket costs in Original Medicare. Depending on the plan, coverage may include:
- Copayments for doctor visits or hospital services
- Coinsurance (your share of the bill after Medicare pays)
- Part A and/or Part B deductibles
- The first 3 pints of blood you may need
- Hospice care coinsurance or copayments
Some Medigap plans go beyond the basics and cover services that Original Medicare doesn’t, such as:
- Foreign travel emergency care — limited coverage for urgent medical care outside the U.S.
- Excess charges for Part B (in certain plans)
- Skilled nursing facility coinsurance
What Medigap Does Not Cover
It’s just as important to know what Medigap plans don’t cover. In general, they don’t pay for:
- Long-term care (such as nursing home stays or custodial care)
- Routine vision or dental services
- Hearing aids
- Eyeglasses or contact lenses
- Private-duty nursing
Prescription drugs: Medigap policies sold after 2005 do not include drug coverage. If you need prescriptions covered, you’ll need to enroll in a separate Medicare Part D plan.
Benefits offered by each Medigap plan
Compare the benefits of each lettered plan to help you find one that meets your needs now and in the future. You might not be able to switch Medigap policies later.
✔ = Plan covers 100% ✘ = Plan doesn’t cover % = Amount the plan covers
| Benefits | A | B | C | D | F | G | K | L | M | N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A coinsurance & hospital costs | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Part B copays/coinsurance | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 50% | 75% | ✔ | ✔ |
| Blood (first 3 pints) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 50% | 75% | ✔ | ✔ |
| Part A hospice | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 50% | 75% | ✔ | ✔ |
| Skilled nursing facility | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 50% | 75% | ✔ | ✔ |
| Part A deductible | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | 50% | 75% | 50% | ✔ |
| Part B deductible | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
| Part B excess charges | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ |
| Foreign travel emergency | ✘ | ✘ | 80% | 80% | 80% | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ | 80% | 80% |
| $7,220 | $3,610 | |||||||||