Medicare Supplement

Same Medigap Letter, Same Coverage: What Plan G, N, K and L Really Do

Peoria, Arizona — If you've been comparing Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies and feeling like every insurer is describing something different, here's some good news: they aren't. Under federal rules, a Medigap plan sold as "Plan G" has to cover the same things no matter which company sells it. The letter is the standard. What changes from insurer to insurer is price and service — not the benefits inside the letter.

That standardization is what makes shopping Medigap in Peoria, which sits in Maricopa County, more straightforward than it looks at first.

Why the letter is the standard

The federal government requires most Medigap plans sold today to follow a standardized chart labeled by letter — A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M and N. Every insurer that sells "Plan G" has to include the same core benefits in that plan. That's why two Plan G policies from two different companies will pay the same share of a covered hospital or doctor bill, even if the monthly premium is different.

Arizona follows this standard chart. If you live in Peoria, the Plan G you compare from one carrier and the Plan G you compare from another carrier are the same coverage on paper.

Three states — Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin — standardize Medigap differently, so the letter system described here doesn't apply the same way there.

What Plan G covers (and what it doesn't)

Plan G is one of the more comprehensive standardized options available to people newly eligible for Medicare today. It generally covers Part A coinsurance and hospital costs, Part B coinsurance or copays, the first three pints of blood, hospice coinsurance, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, and the Part A deductible. It also includes some foreign travel emergency coverage, subject to plan limits.

What Plan G does not cover is the Part B deductible. You pay that yourself each year before Plan G kicks in on outpatient services.

There is also a high-deductible version of Plan G. It covers the same benefits, but you must first pay an annual deductible set by federal rule before the plan begins paying. Premiums for the high-deductible version are typically lower because you take on more upfront cost.

What Plan N covers

Plan N covers most of the same categories as Plan G — Part A hospital costs and coinsurance, Part B coinsurance, blood, hospice, skilled nursing coinsurance, and the Part A deductible. Like Plan G, it does not cover the Part B deductible.

The difference: with Plan N, you may pay a copay of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that don't lead to a hospital admission. Plan N also does not cover Part B "excess charges" — the extra amount some providers can bill above the Medicare-approved rate.

How Plans K and L are different

Plans K and L work a little differently from G and N. Instead of paying most cost-sharing in full, they pay a percentage — Plan K pays 50% of many covered costs, and Plan L pays 75%. You pay the rest.

To protect you from runaway bills, both plans include an annual out-of-pocket limit set by federal rule. Once you hit that limit in a calendar year, the plan pays 100% of covered Part A and Part B costs for the rest of the year. That built-in ceiling is what distinguishes K and L from the other letters.

Why Plans C and F aren't on the list for newcomers

Plans C and F used to be popular because they covered the Part B deductible. Under federal law, they are closed to people who became newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. If you were eligible before that date, you may still be able to buy them; if you became eligible after, you cannot.

That's why most first-time shoppers today are comparing Plans G, N, K and L instead.

Same letter, different price

Because the benefits are locked in by letter, the real shopping question isn't "what does this plan cover?" — it's what the insurer charges, how they raise rates over time, and how their customer service holds up. Two Plan G policies in Maricopa County can carry very different premiums for the same federally defined coverage.

Medigap also does not include prescription drug coverage. For that, you'd look at a separate Part D plan. In 2026, Part D has a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap, a maximum deductible of $615, and the coverage gap ("donut hole") has been eliminated as of 2025. The optional Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs over the year in monthly installments.