Medicare Supplement

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

WALTHAM, Mass. — If you've ever tried to compare Medigap plans and felt like you were reading a foreign language, there's good news: the letters on that chart mean the same thing no matter which insurance company is selling the policy. A Plan G from one carrier covers exactly what a Plan G from another carrier covers. The price and customer service can differ, but the federal benefits inside each lettered plan do not.

That's because Medicare Supplement Insurance — Medigap — is standardized under federal rules. Once you understand what each letter covers, comparing policies becomes a much simpler exercise.

Why the letters mean the same thing everywhere

Medigap policies work alongside Original Medicare to help pay some of the costs Medicare doesn't cover — things like coinsurance, copayments and certain deductibles. Under federal law, insurance companies that sell Medigap must offer the same benefits inside each lettered plan. If two companies both sell Plan G, the benefits inside those Plan Gs are identical.

What can differ from company to company is the monthly premium, how the company handles customer service, and whether it offers any extras outside the standardized benefits. But the core coverage on the chart? Same letter, same coverage.

What Plan G covers

Plan G is one of the most comprehensive letters available to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. It generally covers:

• Part A hospital coinsurance and hospital costs for an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits end
• Part B coinsurance or copayment
• The first three pints of blood each year
• Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
• Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance
• The Part A deductible
• Part B excess charges
• 80% of foreign travel emergency care, up to plan limits

Plan G does not pay the Part B deductible. Once you meet that deductible each year, Plan G picks up most of what's left.

How high-deductible Plan G is different

High-deductible Plan G covers the same benefits as regular Plan G, but only after you've paid a set annual deductible out of pocket. That deductible amount is set by federal rule and adjusts each year. In exchange for paying more up front, the monthly premium is typically lower. It's the same letter and the same list of benefits — just a different cost structure for how you reach them.

What Plan N covers

Plan N covers most of the same categories as Plan G, with two important differences:

• You may owe a copayment of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that don't result in an inpatient admission.
• Plan N does not cover Part B excess charges (the extra amount a provider can charge above the Medicare-approved amount if they don't accept assignment).

Like Plan G, Plan N does not pay the Part B deductible.

What Plans K and L cover

Plans K and L are cost-sharing plans. Instead of paying most costs in full, they cover a percentage of certain Medicare-approved expenses:

• Plan K generally pays 50% of many benefits, including the Part A deductible, Part B coinsurance, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, and the first three pints of blood.
• Plan L generally pays 75% of those same categories.

Both plans have an annual out-of-pocket limit set by federal rule. Once you reach that limit and pay the Part B deductible, the plan pays 100% of Medicare-covered services for the rest of the calendar year. Neither K nor L covers Part B excess charges.

What Medigap does not cover — including drugs

No Medigap plan sold today includes prescription drug coverage. For drugs, you'd need a separate Medicare Part D plan. Part D has its own rules and, for 2026, a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs, a maximum deductible of $615, and an optional Medicare Prescription Payment Plan that lets you spread drug costs across monthly installments.

Medigap also generally doesn't cover long-term care, vision, dental, hearing aids or private-duty nursing.

A note about Plans C and F

Plans C and F are the two Medigap letters that cover the Part B deductible. Under federal law, they are closed to anyone who first became 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 not, Plan G is often described as the closest equivalent because it covers the same benefits except the Part B deductible itself.

A note for Waltham readers

Waltham is in Middlesex County, and Massachusetts is one of three states — along with Minnesota and Wisconsin — that standardizes Medigap plans differently from the federal letter system. That means the "Plan G, N, K, L" framework you see in national coverage may not match the Massachusetts standardized options exactly. If you live in Waltham, read materials specific to Massachusetts Medigap policies, and check with the Massachusetts SHINE program (the state's SHIP counselor service) for personalized guidance.