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Health Line
3 days ago
- Business
- Health Line
Medigap Plan N Pros and Cons: What to Know
Medigap Plan N offers a balance of comprehensive coverage and affordable premiums. It is one of the more robust Medigap offerings, but there are some gaps in its coverage. Medicare supplement insurance, also called Medigap, is private insurance that helps cover the out-of-pocket costs of Original Medicare (parts A and B). With Original Medicare, beneficiaries incur various expenses despite Medicare's coverage. These include deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. Third-party insurance companies sell Medigap policies to help cover these additional expenses. Medigap plans are not available to people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. Medigap Plan N is one of 10 Medigap plans offered in 2025. Although many companies can sell Plan N policies, their coverage is standardized nationwide (except in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, which have unique Medigap rules). What is Plan N? Plan N is the third most popular Medigap offering behind plans G and F. It accounted for roughly 10% of Medigap plans sold in 2023, according to health policy research nonprofit KFF. As with Plan G, Plan N covers most of the costs of Original Medicare. But there are a couple of notable differences: Plan N does not cover Part B excess charges. Excess charges are fees you may pay if you visit a doctor who does not accept Medicare assignment. They may be up to 15% more than the Medicare-approved amount for a given service. Plan N does not cover all Part B copayments. With Plan N, you still have copayments of up to $50 for emergency room visits and $20 for some office visits. Since Plan N and other Medigap plans only help cover costs associated with Original Medicare, they do not cover costs related to vision, dental, or hearing care, nor do they cover drug costs. To receive these types of benefits, you would need a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan. Medigap Plan N pros and cons Pros of Medigap Plan N comprehensive coverage of major medical expenses no restrictions on provider access lower premiums than Plan G despite offering similar coverage complete coverage of Part A deductible predictable out-of-pocket expenses coverage of 80% of emergency care during foreign travel What Plan N covers Plan N offers coverage for a wide range of costs. These include: 100% of the Part A deductible 100% of the Part A coinsurance and hospital costs 100% of the Part A coinsurance or copayment for hospice care 100% of the skilled nursing facility coinsurance 100% of Part B coinsurance the first 3 pints of blood 80% of foreign emergency care What Plan N does not cover Despite Plan N's extensive coverage, there are a few things it does not cover. These include: the Part B deductible Part B excess charges dental, hearing, and vision care prescription drugs long-term skilled nursing care Who should consider Plan N? No single Medicare plan is right for every person. Coverage decisions depend on personal factors, such as your medical needs and financial constraints. Plan N may be right for you if you have moderate healthcare needs and want predictability in your costs. Although you'll have higher monthly premiums with Plan N than with most Medicare Advantage plans or Original Medicare alone, you'll have very few out-of-pocket expenses for the care you receive. Those seeking a balance between premiums and coverage may also wish to consider Plan N, particularly if they visit healthcare professionals who accept Medicare assignment. Plus, if you're willing to incur small copayments in exchange for lower monthly premiums, Plan N may be right for you. How to purchase Medigap Plan N You're only eligible to buy a Medigap policy if you're enrolled in Original Medicare. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, companies are prohibited by law from selling you a Medigap plan. The best time to sign up for Plan N is during your Medigap open enrollment period. This is a 6-month window that begins when you sign up for Part B and are 65 years or older. If you wait until after this period, insurance carriers can charge you higher premiums or deny coverage based on preexisting conditions. To see Plan N options in your area, use the coverage finder tool on After entering your ZIP code, you'll see plans from different insurance carriers in your area. Scroll down to Plan N at the bottom and select 'View Policies.' To see the most accurate pricing information, contact the company offering your desired plan and enroll directly with a representative. Alternatively, you can use a third-party insurance broker to help you sign up. Summary Medigap Plan N is supplemental insurance for individuals who have Original Medicare. It covers most out-of-pocket costs associated with Original Medicare. Plan N is a popular Medigap option. Some of its benefits include comprehensive medical coverage, lower premiums, no restrictions on provider access, and predictable out-of-pocket expenses. Some drawbacks of Plan N include copayments for office visits and emergency room visits and no coverage of Part B excess charges. Plan N may be right for individuals seeking a balance between robust coverage and lower monthly premiums than similar plans. The information on this website may assist you in making personal decisions about insurance, but it is not intended to provide advice regarding the purchase or use of any insurance or insurance products. Healthline Media does not transact the business of insurance in any manner and is not licensed as an insurance company or producer in any U.S. jurisdiction. Healthline Media does not recommend or endorse any third parties that may transact the business of insurance.
Medical News Today
03-07-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Understanding Medigap Plan N: Pros and cons
Medigap Plan N is a supplemental insurance policy for Medicare. It offers a balance of extensive coverage and affordable or Medicare supplement insurance, is a form of private insurance that helps cover the out-of-pocket expenses that come with Original Medicare pays its share for a given service, beneficiaries still have various out-of-pocket costs for the services they receive. These include deductibles, copayments, and plans will cover these additional costs for people who would like more predictability in their healthcare costs in exchange for a monthly premium payment, which a person pays on top of the Part B of Medicare termsOut-of-pocket cost: This is the amount a person must pay for care when Medicare does not pay the total amount or offer coverage. Costs can include deductibles, coinsurance, copayments, and This is the amount of money someone pays each month for Medicare coverage. Deductible: This is an annual amount a person must spend out of pocket within a certain period before Medicare starts to fund their This is the percentage of treatment costs that a person must self-fund. For Medicare Part B, coinsurance is 20%.Copayment: This is a fixed dollar amount a person with insurance pays when receiving certain treatments. For Medicare, this usually applies to prescription Plan NMedigap Plan N is one of 10 Medicare supplement insurance plans available in the United different insurers offer Plan N policies, the coverage of these plans is standardized across the country, except in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, which have different rules regarding to the health policy research nonprofit KFF, Plan N is one of the more popular Medigap policies. In 2023, the most popular plans (and their corresponding percentages of all policies sold that year) were:Plan G, with 39%Plan F, with 36%Plan N, with 10%Plan N offers similar coverage to plans G and F, although it is not quite as comprehensive. As a result, Plan N typically carries a lower monthly premium cost than these and cons of Plan NAll Medigap plans have advantages and disadvantages. Plan N is no different. The following list highlights some of the pros and cons of Plan N as it relates to other Medigap of Plan N:It offers comprehensive coverage for most major medical services and procedures, including the Part A deductible and coinsurance and the Part B covers the coinsurance for skilled nursing facility care and hospice has a lower monthly premium than Plan G, which offers similar (though slightly more extensive) of Plan N:It does not cover Part B copayments. With Plan N, a person will still have copayments for some doctor's visits and emergency room visits that do not result in hospital does not cover Part B excess charges. If a person's doctor does not accept Medicare assignment, they may charge up to 15% more than the Medicare-approved amount for given services. This is called a Part B excess does not cover the Part B deductible. Only plans C and F cover this cost, and these plans are not available to people who became eligible for Medicare after January 1, Medigap works with Original Medicare, all plans include flexible provider access, allowing beneficiaries to see any healthcare professionals nationwide who accept N coverageWhat Plan N coversWhat Plan N does not coverPart A coinsurance and hospital costs Part B copayments Part B coinsurance Part B excess charges blood (up to 3 pints) Part B deductible Part A hospice care coinsurance dental, vision, and hearing care skilled nursing facility care coinsurance prescription drugsPart A deductible —emergency care while abroad— offers a useful chart that compares the benefits of Medigap plans should consider Plan NPlan N may appeal to people with Original Medicare who are looking for broad coverage with slightly lower monthly premiums than other similar Medigap individuals may have moderate medical needs and would accept making modest copayments when they visit a healthcare may also suit those who routinely visit healthcare professionals and medical facilities that accept Medicare assignment, as they would not face excess charges for the services they to buy Plan NWhen people ages 65 years or older sign up for Medicare Part B, their Medigap open enrollment period (OEP) begins. This is a 6-month window during which they can sign up for any Medigap plan they wish without being denied or charged more due to a preexisting health process of examining an applicant's health status and lifestyle to determine whether to offer coverage, and at what rate, is known as medical a person wishes to sign up for Medigap Plan N, the best time to do so is during the Medigap OEP. If they wait until after this period, there is no guarantee that an insurer will accept their if someone does miss the Medigap OEP, they can still apply for Plan N by contacting the insurance carrier offering their desired offers a tool that individuals can use to compare Medigap plans available in their area.»Learn more:When is the Medigap open enrollment period?TakeawayMedigap Plan N is a supplemental insurance policy. It covers a wide range of expenses related to Original Medicare, including the Part A deductible and coinsurance, and Part B Plan N's coverage has some gaps. It does not cover Part B excess charges, and it requires copayments for certain doctor visits.A person may wish to consider the pros and cons of Plan N as they weigh their insurance options.
