Medigap plans A to N, compared for New York
Medigap is the rare insurance product where the government wrote the benefits and the companies compete only on price. That makes the comparison a table, not a sales pitch. Here is the table for 2026, what each letter actually pays, which letters are worth buying in New York, and the two New York rules that make the decision easier here than in most states.
Medigap policies are standardized by letter, so a Plan G from one carrier covers exactly what a Plan G from another covers; only the premium and the carrier's service differ. For people new to Medicare since 2020 the choices are A, B, D, G, high-deductible G, K, L, M and N (Plans C and F are closed to them). All pay the Part A hospital coinsurance in full; the differences are the Part A deductible ($1,736 in 2026), the Part B 20% coinsurance, skilled-nursing coinsurance, foreign travel and cost-sharing limits. In practice New York carriers sell A, B, G, high-deductible G and N; G is the fullest, N trades $20 doctor and $50 ER copays for a lower premium, and high-deductible G pays nothing until you've spent $2,950. New York adds two rules no letter changes: every plan is guaranteed-issue in any month, and everyone pays the same community rate regardless of age.
The standardized chart, 2026
"Yes" means the plan pays 100% of that cost. Percentages are what the plan pays; you pay the rest. Plans C and F are shown for people who were eligible for Medicare before 2020 and can still buy them.
| Benefit | A | B | D | G | K | L | M | N | C* | F* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A hospital coinsurance and 365 extra days | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Part B coinsurance (the 20%) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50% | 75% | Yes | Yes, except $20 office / $50 ER copays | Yes | Yes |
| First three pints of blood | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50% | 75% | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Part A hospice coinsurance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50% | 75% | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance (days 21–100) | No | No | Yes | Yes | 50% | 75% | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Part A deductible ($1,736 in 2026) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50% | 75% | 50% | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Part B deductible ($283 in 2026) | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Part B excess charges | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Foreign travel emergency (80%, after $250 deductible, up to $50,000 lifetime) | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yearly out-of-pocket limit (2026) | — | — | — | — | $8,000 | $4,000 | — | — | — | — |
*Plans C and F are available only to people eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. High-deductible versions of Plan G (and F) pay these benefits only after a $2,950 deductible in 2026. Source: Medicare.gov's standardized benefit chart; 2026 amounts from Medicare.gov and CMS.
Which letters are actually sold in New York
The DFS premium comparison for the Albany region lists carriers for Plans A, B, G, high-deductible G and N; a few file rates for other letters, and Plans C and F remain in force for people who bought them. In practice the decision here is among three:
- Plan G — everything but the $283 Part B deductible. The default for people who want to stop thinking about medical bills. Albany region, July 2026: about $305 to $667 a month depending on carrier.
- Plan N — same, minus excess charges (capped at 5% in New York anyway) and with copays of up to $20 per office visit and $50 per emergency visit that doesn't end in admission. About $269 to $482. For someone who sees a doctor a handful of times a year the premium saving usually exceeds the copays.
- High-deductible Plan G — you pay the first $2,950 of Medicare-covered costs (2026), then G takes over. About $60 to $90. Worth understanding as the cheapest way to keep Original Medicare's no-network freedom; see Plan G vs Plan N in New York for the arithmetic.
Plans A and B exist mostly for people who want minimal coverage; K, L and M are rarely offered here; D is uncommon. Live premiums for every carrier in the DFS comparison are on the Albany-region rates page.
The two New York rules
- Guaranteed issue, every month. In most states you can buy Medigap without health questions only in the six months after Part B starts; afterwards carriers can underwrite and refuse. New York requires every Medigap carrier to accept any Medicare beneficiary at any time. A waiting period of up to six months for pre-existing conditions can apply if you had no prior creditable coverage, and is reduced by the coverage you did have.
- Community rating. Every policyholder of a given plan and carrier pays the same premium regardless of age. A 65-year-old and an 85-year-old pay the same for the same Plan G. That's why New York premiums look high compared with a 65-year-old's quote elsewhere and low compared with an 80-year-old's.
The consequences: switching Medigap plans or carriers is possible at any time (how to switch in New York), trying Medicare Advantage first is a lower-stakes decision than the national advice suggests, and the carrier's rate history matters more than its first-year price (when your Medigap premium goes up).
What Medigap doesn't do
- No prescription coverage: you pair it with a Part D plan.
- No dental, vision or hearing benefits, unlike many Advantage plans; those are bought separately or paid for out of pocket.
- No cap on Part B costs in Plans A, B, D, G, M and N except through the plan paying them; the cap exists only in K and L. In practice G leaves you with the $283 deductible and nothing else Medicare-covered.
- It only pays what Medicare approves; a service Medicare denies, Medigap denies.
How I compare
Letter first (G, N or high-deductible G for nearly everyone), then carrier: this year's premium from the DFS table, the carrier's rate increases over the past several years, any household discount, and claims handling. I'm appointed with several of the Medigap carriers in the Albany comparison, including UnitedHealthcare (AARP), Aetna, Humana, EmblemHealth and Anthem, and I'll say when the lowest premium belongs to a carrier I don't represent. Ask for Medigap quotes; the Medicare Supplement page covers how Medigap fits against Advantage.
- Compare Medigap plan benefits (Medicare.gov) — the standardized chart
- Out-of-pocket limits for Medigap Plans K and L, calendar year 2026 (CMS) — $8,000 and $4,000
- Medicare costs 2026 (Medicare.gov) — Part A deductible $1,736; Part B deductible $283; high-deductible G $2,950
- Information for Medicare beneficiaries: Medigap in New York (NY DFS) — year-round guaranteed issue, community rating, pre-existing-condition wait
- Comparison of 2026 Medicare Supplement premiums, in effect July 1, 2026 (NY DFS)
- Public Health Law §19, limiting charges (New York State Senate) — excess charges capped at 5% in New York
I do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information I provide is limited to the plans I do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program for information on all of your options. Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government, the Social Security Administration or the federal Medicare program.
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they call.
Which Medigap plan is most popular?
Plan G, for people who became eligible for Medicare after January 1, 2020, because it covers everything except the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026). Plan N is the usual alternative: same coverage except $20 office and $50 emergency-room copays and no excess-charge coverage, for a lower premium. In the Albany region the July 2026 DFS comparison shows Plan G from about $305 to $667 a month and Plan N from about $269 to $482, all community-rated.
Can I still buy Plan F or Plan C?
Only if you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Federal law closed plans that cover the Part B deductible to newer beneficiaries. If you're eligible and already have F, switching to G usually saves more than the $283 deductible costs; in New York you can switch in any month.
What is high-deductible Plan G?
Plan G with a deductible: you pay the first $2,950 of Medicare-covered costs in 2026 (the Part B deductible counts toward it), then the plan pays like a regular Plan G. Premiums in the Albany region run about $60 to $90 a month against $305 to $667 for regular G, so it suits people who can absorb a bad year and want the no-network freedom of Original Medicare at an Advantage-like price.
What do Plans K and L cover?
They pay a percentage rather than all of most cost-sharing: K pays 50% and L pays 75% of the Part B coinsurance, blood, hospice, skilled-nursing coinsurance and the Part A deductible, with a yearly out-of-pocket limit of $8,000 (K) or $4,000 (L) in 2026, after which they pay 100%. They're rarely sold in New York and rarely the right answer here.
Does Plan G's excess-charge coverage matter in New York?
Less than elsewhere. New York law caps Part B excess charges at 5% of the Medicare-approved amount (most states allow 15%), and most doctors accept assignment anyway. It's one reason Plan N's lower premium is competitive here.
Are Medigap benefits the same with every company?
Yes, by law, letter for letter. What differs is the premium, how the premium has moved over the years, whether the carrier offers a household discount, and how it handles claims. That's why I compare rate histories, not just this year's price.
Which letter, which carrier
Your doctors, how much you travel and how you feel about small copays decide the letter; the DFS rate table and each carrier's rate history decide the company. I run both, at no fee.