Medicare Supplement Plan N

Medicare Supplement Plan N is a Medigap policy that trades a lower monthly premium for small, capped copays at doctor visits and emergency room trips that don't result in admission. Medigap refers to private insurance policies that work alongside Original Medicare to help pay costs like coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles that Medicare Parts A and B leave the beneficiary to cover. Plan N pays most of what Medicare Supplement Plan G pays, including Part A and B coinsurance, hospital costs, hospice care, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, the Part A deductible, and foreign travel emergency care.

The tradeoff is that Plan N holders pay the Part B deductible themselves, may owe Part B excess charges if a provider doesn't accept Medicare assignment, and pay up to a $20 copay for office visits and up to $50 for ER visits that don't lead to a hospital admission. For Medicare beneficiaries who see doctors infrequently and want a lower fixed monthly cost with full freedom to see any Medicare-accepting provider nationwide, Plan N is one of the more cost-competitive Medigap options on the market.

Plan N vs. Plan G: How the Costs Compare

The core difference between Medicare Supplement Plan N and Medicare Supplement Plan G comes down to how each plan spreads out cost. Plan G carries a higher monthly premium but covers nearly everything except the Part B deductible, so a Plan G holder rarely pays anything extra at the point of care. Plan N carries a lower monthly premium, but the beneficiary takes on the office and ER copays plus any Part B excess charges.

For someone who visits doctors rarely, the monthly savings on Plan N typically outweigh the occasional copay. For someone with frequent specialist visits, standing appointments, or several ER trips a year, Plan G's higher premium can work out to a lower total annual cost. According to Medicare.gov, Part B excess charges happen when a provider who doesn't accept Medicare assignment bills up to 15% more than the Medicare-approved amount, a cost Plan G absorbs but Plan N does not. See our guide to Medicare Supplement Plan G for a full breakdown of that plan's coverage, or our Medicare Part B coverage guide for more on what Part B pays for in the first place.

Who Should Consider Plan N

Medicare Supplement Plan N tends to fit best for beneficiaries who don't see doctors more than a handful of times a year, want the lowest possible monthly Medigap premium while still avoiding surprise hospital bills, and are comfortable budgeting a small, predictable copay at each office or ER visit. It's generally not the best fit for beneficiaries who see multiple specialists regularly, want the fewest possible bills to track, or live in one of the few states where providers commonly bill up to the Part B excess charge limit.

If you're weighing Medigap against a Medicare Advantage plan instead, network rules and out-of-pocket structures work very differently. Our Medicare Advantage vs. Supplement comparison breaks down that decision in more detail.

When to Enroll in Medicare Supplement Plan N

The best time to buy any Medigap policy, including Plan N, is during your six-month Medigap open enrollment period, which starts the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B, according to Medicare.gov. During this window, insurers can't deny coverage or charge more based on health conditions. Outside that period, insurers in most states can use medical underwriting to deny an application or set a higher premium.

If you're new to Medicare, our guide to turning 65 walks through the broader enrollment timeline, including how Medigap open enrollment differs from the annual enrollment period that applies to Medicare Advantage and Part D plans.