High Deductible Plan G vs. Standard Plan G: 2026 Guide

Standard Plan G and High Deductible Plan G cover the exact same medical benefits under Medicare Supplement Insurance, commonly called Medigap. The only real difference is how you pay for that coverage. Standard Plan G charges a higher monthly premium and starts paying covered costs almost immediately. High Deductible Plan G charges a lower monthly premium, but you pay a set annual deductible out of your own pocket before the plan pays anything.

Both versions are sold by private insurance companies and standardized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that sets Medigap benefit rules, so the covered benefits are identical no matter which insurer sells the plan in your state. This guide walks through what each plan covers, how the deductible math works, and how to decide which version fits your budget and health needs in 2026.

What Standard and High Deductible Plan G Both Cover

Medicare Supplement Plan G is one of ten standardized Medigap plans sold alongside Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). In both its standard and high deductible forms, Plan G pays for:

• Part A coinsurance and hospital costs for up to 365 extra days after Medicare benefits are used up
• Part A deductible for inpatient hospital stays
• Part B coinsurance, typically 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for outpatient services
• Part B excess charges, the extra amount some doctors are allowed to bill above what Medicare approves
• The first three pints of blood used in a medical procedure
• Skilled nursing facility coinsurance
• Part A hospice care coinsurance and copayments
• Foreign travel emergency care, up to the plan's lifetime limit

Neither version covers the annual Part B deductible, which is the one cost Plan G leaves to you directly (that gap is what separates it from the now largely unavailable Plan F). Under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), insurers can no longer sell Plan F or Plan C to anyone who became newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, which makes Plan G, in either version, the most complete Medigap option available to people new to Medicare today.

Medigap plans do not cover prescription drugs, so most people pair Plan G with a standalone Part D plan. If you're comparing drug coverage separately, a Medicare Part D formulary comparison can help you check whether your medications are covered before you enroll.

How the High Deductible Plan G Deductible Actually Works

With High Deductible Plan G, you are responsible for paying Medicare-approved amounts for covered services, the kind of costs Part A and Part B coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles would normally leave you owing, until you reach the plan's annual deductible. According to Medicare.gov, the High Deductible Plan G deductible was $2,870 for 2025, the most recently confirmed figure as of this writing. CMS typically adjusts this amount each year, so confirm the current year's deductible with your insurer or at Medicare.gov before you enroll or compare quotes.

Two details matter here. First, you are not paying extra money on top of what Medicare already charges; you're paying the same Medicare-approved coinsurance and deductible amounts that a standard Plan G policy would have covered for you, just out of your own pocket until the deductible is satisfied. Second, your Part B deductible, a separate, smaller amount described on Medicare's Medicare costs page, counts toward your High Deductible Plan G deductible, so you're not paying both amounts as fully separate costs.

Once your spending reaches the deductible in a calendar year, High Deductible Plan G pays 100 percent of your Medicare-approved costs for the rest of that year, identical to standard Plan G. The deductible resets every January 1.

When High Deductible Plan G Can Save You Money

High Deductible Plan G tends to cost less overall in years when you use little medical care, and standard Plan G tends to cost less in years when you use a lot. The deciding factor is how the premium difference between the two plans compares to the deductible.

As an illustration only, if standard Plan G costs $100 more per month than High Deductible Plan G in your area, that's $1,200 a year in premium savings by choosing the high deductible version. Since the 2025 deductible was $2,870, you would need to use roughly that much in Medicare-covered coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles in a year before High Deductible Plan G stops saving you money compared to standard Plan G. In a year with few doctor visits, the premium savings alone could outweigh what you'd spend under the deductible. In a year with a hospital stay or a new diagnosis, standard Plan G's higher but predictable premium may cost less overall.

Because premiums vary by insurer, state, age, and underwriting practices, get actual quotes for both versions in your area before assuming either one is cheaper. A plan that looks like a better deal on paper only helps if you can comfortably cover the deductible should a high-use year arrive.

Other Ways to Compare Your Options

If the deductible trade-off doesn't appeal to youMedicare Supplement Plan N offers another way to lower your premium: it keeps a standard deductible structure similar to Plan G but adds small copayments for office and emergency room visits instead of a large annual deductible. Comparing standard Plan G, High Deductible Plan G, and Plan N side by side against your expected care needs is the most reliable way to find the lowest total cost for your situation.

Whichever plan you choose, it helps to understand your overall Medicare out-of-pocket maximum exposure under Original Medicare before comparing Medigap premiums, since that context shows what you'd face without any supplement at all. If you're thinking about switching between Medigap plans later, keep in mind that outside your initial Medigap open enrollment window you may need to answer health questions; reviewing what happens if you miss your Medicare initial enrollment period is a useful starting point for understanding how enrollment timing affects your guaranteed issue rights.