Medicare Supplement Plan C: Coverage, Cost and Eligibility
What Medigap Plan C covers, who can still buy it and how it compares with Plans D, F and G
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Medicare Supplement Plan C, also called Medigap Plan C, covers every standardized Medigap benefit except Part B excess charges, including both the Part A and Part B deductibles. Foreign travel emergencies are covered at 80% up to plan limits. Plan C is sold only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Anyone who became eligible on or after that date cannot buy it, and Plan D or Plan G is the closest alternative. Eligible buyers usually compare it with Plan F, Plan D or Plan G.
Reviewed by Charles “Chuck” Lunsford, Life & Health insurance agent licensed in Florida since 1994 and in Alabama (NPN 553216).
Plan C at a Glance
| Feature | Medicare Supplement Plan C |
|---|---|
| Who can buy it | Only people eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020 |
| Part A hospital deductible | Covered at 100%. $1,736 per benefit period in 2026 |
| Part A hospital coinsurance and 365 extra hospital days | Covered at 100% |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance | Covered at 100%. $217 per day for days 21 to 100 in 2026 |
| Part B deductible | Covered at 100%. $283 per year in 2026 |
| Part B coinsurance or copayment | Covered at 100% |
| First three pints of blood | Covered at 100% |
| Part A hospice coinsurance or copayment | Covered at 100% |
| Foreign travel emergency care | 80%, up to plan limits |
| Part B excess charges | Not covered |
| Plan copays for office or emergency room visits | None |
| Annual out-of-pocket limit | None |
Dollar amounts on this page are the 2026 Medicare figures published by CMS. They change each year.
For Medicare-covered care in the United States from providers who accept assignment, Plan C leaves no deductibles, coinsurance or copays. The exceptions are excess charges from providers who do not accept assignment and the share of foreign emergency care the plan does not pay.
Who Can Buy Medicare Supplement Plan C?
You can buy Plan C only if you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Federal law ended sales of Medigap plans that pay the Part B deductible to people new to Medicare on or after that date.
- You already have Plan C. You can keep it. Medigap policies are renewed automatically each year as long as you pay the premium.
- You were eligible before 2020 but never bought Plan C. You may still be able to buy it. Outside open enrollment or a guaranteed-issue situation, the carrier can use medical underwriting.
- You became eligible on or after January 1, 2020. You cannot buy Plan C. Plan D matches it except for the Part B deductible, and Plan G matches it except for the Part B deductible while adding excess charge coverage.
What counts is when you first became eligible for Medicare, not when you enrolled. Someone who qualified through disability before 2020 is generally treated as eligible before 2020.
What Does Medicare Supplement Plan C Cover?
Plan C covers eight of the nine standardized Medigap benefits: seven at 100% and foreign travel emergencies at 80%.
| Benefit | What Original Medicare leaves you owing | What Plan C pays |
|---|---|---|
| Part A hospital deductible | $1,736 for each benefit period in 2026 | The full deductible, every benefit period |
| Part A hospital coinsurance | A daily charge for hospital days 61 to 90 ($434 in 2026) and for lifetime reserve days ($868 in 2026) | The full daily coinsurance, plus Medicare-eligible hospital costs for up to 365 additional days over your lifetime once Medicare hospital benefits are used up |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance | $217 per day for days 21 to 100 of a covered stay in 2026 | The full daily coinsurance |
| Part B deductible | $283 per year in 2026 | The full deductible |
| Part B coinsurance or copayment | Generally 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for doctor visits, outpatient care and durable medical equipment | The full coinsurance or copayment |
| Blood | The first three pints in a calendar year | All three pints |
| Part A hospice care | Copayments for outpatient drugs and coinsurance for inpatient respite care | The full hospice coinsurance or copayment |
| Foreign travel emergency care | Original Medicare generally pays nothing outside the United States | 80% of emergency care, up to plan limits |
The Part B deductible is what separates Plan C from Plan D. Because Plan C pays it, Medicare-covered Part B services from providers who accept assignment cost nothing from the first visit of the year.
Skilled nursing coverage separates Plan C from Plans A and B. Plan C pays the daily coinsurance for days 21 to 100 of a covered stay.
What Doesn’t Plan C Cover?
Plan C does not cover Part B excess charges, and it pays only part of foreign emergency care.
Part B Excess Charges
Part B excess charges are the one standardized benefit Plan C leaves out. A provider who does not accept Medicare assignment may bill up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount, and Plan C does not pay the difference. Plan F and Plan G do. You can avoid excess charges by asking whether a provider accepts assignment before you receive care.
Foreign Travel Emergencies
Plan C pays 80% of emergency care during foreign travel, up to plan limits. You pay the remaining 20% and any amount above those limits.
Like all Medigap plans, Plan C does not cover prescription drugs, dental care, vision care, hearing aids or long-term custodial care. Drug coverage comes from a separate Medicare Part D plan.
What Could You Pay With Plan C?
With Plan C you pay the monthly premium. For Medicare-covered care in the United States from providers who accept assignment, there is normally nothing else to pay. The plan has no annual out-of-pocket limit, but the costs it leaves open are narrow.
| Cost you keep | When it applies | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly premium | Every month | Set by the carrier |
| Part B excess charges | Only when a provider does not accept Medicare assignment | Up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount |
| Emergency care outside the United States | Travel abroad | 20% of covered emergency care, plus any amount above plan limits |
The tradeoff is premium. Plan C collects in advance, through the premium, what Plan D or Plan G would leave you to pay when you receive care.
Free 2026 Medicare Guides
Want to read up before we talk? Download the official Medicare & You 2026 handbook and the government’s Choosing a Medigap Policy guide. Both are free PDFs, with no sign-up needed.
What Does Plan C Cost?
There is no single price for Plan C. Plan C benefits are identical from carrier to carrier, but each insurance company sets its own premium.
Premiums can vary by:
- The insurance company
- Your age when you buy the policy
- Your ZIP code
- Tobacco use
- Gender, with some carriers
- Household or other discounts a carrier offers
- Your enrollment situation: open enrollment, a guaranteed-issue right or medical underwriting
Two points are specific to Plan C.
Compare the premium gap with the Part B deductible. Plan D covers everything Plan C does except the Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026. If a carrier’s yearly premium for Plan C is more than $283 above its premium for Plan D, you pay more for that coverage than the deductible itself.
Fewer people can buy it each year. No one newly eligible for Medicare can join Plan C, so ask which carriers still sell it in your ZIP code before you plan around it.
This page does not list Plan C premium ranges. A range without a date, ZIP code, age and carrier list is not a useful comparison. A quote for your own age and ZIP code is.
Who Might Consider Plan C?
Plan C may be worth considering only if you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Within that group, it may appeal to someone who:
- Wants both deductibles paid, so covered care has no cost sharing from the first visit of the year
- Wants skilled nursing coinsurance and foreign travel emergencies covered
- Sees providers who accept Medicare assignment, so excess charges are unlikely
- Finds that Plan C’s premium is close enough to Plan D or Plan G to justify the difference
If you already have Plan C, you do not have to switch. Comparing your current premium with Plan D or Plan G is reasonable, but outside a guaranteed-issue situation a new carrier can use medical underwriting. Keep Plan C in force until a replacement policy is approved.
How Plan C Compares With Plan D, Plan F and Plan G
Plan C has three close neighbors. Each differs from it by one or two benefits.
| Benefit | Plan C | Plan D | Plan F | Plan G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who can buy it | Eligible before 2020 | Anyone eligible for Medigap | Eligible before 2020 | Anyone eligible for Medigap |
| Part A deductible, hospital coinsurance, skilled nursing, blood, hospice | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Part B coinsurance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign travel emergency care | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% |
| Part B deductible | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Part B excess charges | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Plan C vs. Plan D. The plans are identical except for the Part B deductible, which Plan C pays and Plan D does not. Plan D is open to anyone eligible for Medigap. See Medicare Supplement Plan D.
Plan C vs. Plan F. Plan F adds Part B excess charges. Both plans are limited to people eligible for Medicare before 2020. See Medicare Supplement Plan F.
Plan C vs. Plan G. Plan G covers excess charges but not the Part B deductible, so each plan covers one cost the other does not. Plan G is open to anyone eligible for Medigap. See Medicare Supplement Plan G.
To see every lettered plan side by side, compare all Medicare Supplement plans.
Enrollment, Availability and Underwriting
Plan C eligibility comes first: you must have been eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. After that, whether a carrier can ask health questions depends on when and why you apply.
Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment. This six-month period begins the first month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. Most people eligible before 2020 have already passed it. One exception: someone who qualified for Medicare through disability before 2020 generally gets a new open enrollment period at 65 and can apply for Plan C during it without medical underwriting.
Under age 65. Rules for people under 65 vary by state. Some states require carriers to offer Medicare Supplement coverage to people who qualify for Medicare through disability or end-stage renal disease, often with an open enrollment period. Ask what applies where you live.
Guaranteed-issue situations. Certain events, such as losing employer group coverage or a Medicare Advantage plan leaving your area, can create a right to buy specific Medigap plans without underwriting for a limited time. Plan C is included only for people eligible for Medicare before 2020. People new to Medicare since then have the right to buy Plan D or Plan G instead. The application window generally closes 63 days after the earlier coverage ends.
Applications outside those periods. A carrier may use medical underwriting. It can accept the application, decline it or offer a different premium based on your health history.
Medicare Supplement Plan C FAQs
Can I still buy Medicare Supplement Plan C?
Only if you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. People who became eligible on or after that date cannot buy Plan C or Plan F.
I have Plan C. Do I have to switch?
No. If you already have Plan C, you can keep it. Medigap policies are renewed automatically each year as long as you pay the premium.
Is Medicare Supplement Plan C the same as Medicare Part C?
No. Medicare Part C is Medicare Advantage, a private alternative to Original Medicare. Medicare Supplement Plan C is a Medigap policy that works alongside Original Medicare. A Medigap policy does not pay costs under a Medicare Advantage plan.
What is the difference between Plan C and Plan F?
One benefit. Plan F pays Part B excess charges and Plan C does not. Both are limited to people eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.
What is the difference between Plan C and Plan D?
Plan C pays the Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026, and Plan D does not. Their other benefits are identical, and Plan D is open to anyone eligible for Medigap.
What replaced Plan C for people new to Medicare?
No plan replaced it directly. People new to Medicare since 2020 have the right to buy Plan D or Plan G in the situations where Plan C or Plan F would otherwise apply. Plan D matches Plan C except for the Part B deductible.
Does Plan C cover Part B excess charges?
No. If a provider who does not accept Medicare assignment bills up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount, you pay the difference. Plans F and G cover excess charges.
Does Plan C cover medical emergencies abroad?
Yes, partly. Plan C pays 80% of emergency care during foreign travel, up to plan limits. Original Medicare generally does not pay for care outside the United States.
Can I switch from Plan C to Plan G?
You can apply, but outside open enrollment or a guaranteed-issue situation the carrier may review your health history and can decline the application. Keep Plan C in force until the new policy is approved.
Compare Plan C for Your ZIP Code
If you were eligible for Medicare before 2020, a Plan C decision usually comes down to how its premium compares with Plan D and Plan G from the carriers that sell them in your ZIP code. We can run that comparison for your age and location, including whether keeping a Plan C you already own makes sense.
Prefer to keep reading first? Compare all Medicare Supplement plans.
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Content Review
Content reviewed by Charles “Chuck” Lunsford, Licensed Life & Health Agent, Florida License A169316 and Alabama, NPN 553216