Medicare Supplement Plan F: Coverage, Cost and Eligibility
What Medigap Plan F covers, who can still buy it and how it compares with Plan G
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Medicare Supplement Plan F, also called Medigap Plan F, covers all nine standardized Medigap benefits: both Medicare deductibles, all Medicare coinsurance, Part B excess charges and 80% of foreign travel emergencies. For Medicare-covered care in the United States, a Plan F policyholder generally pays only the premium. Plan F is sold only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Everyone else cannot buy it, and Plan G is the closest alternative. Eligible buyers usually compare it with Plan G and High-Deductible Plan F.
Reviewed by Charles “Chuck” Lunsford, Life & Health insurance agent licensed in Florida since 1994 and in Alabama (NPN 553216).
Plan F at a Glance
| Feature | Medicare Supplement Plan F |
|---|---|
| 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% |
| Part B excess charges | 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 |
| Plan copays for office or emergency room visits | None |
Dollar amounts on this page are the 2026 Medicare figures published by CMS. They change each year.
Plan F is the only lettered plan that covers both the Part B deductible and Part B excess charges. Plan C covers the deductible but not excess charges, and Plan G covers excess charges but not the deductible.
Who Can Buy Medicare Supplement Plan F?
You can buy Plan F 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. The same rule applies to High-Deductible Plan F.
- You already have Plan F. 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 F. 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 F. Plan G matches it except for the Part B deductible.
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 F Cover?
Plan F covers every standardized Medigap benefit: eight at 100% and foreign travel emergencies at 80%.
| Benefit | What Original Medicare leaves you owing | What Plan F 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 |
| Part B excess charges | Up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount when a provider does not accept assignment | The full excess charge |
| 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 |
Because Plan F pays excess charges, it does not matter to your costs whether a provider accepts Medicare assignment, as long as the provider accepts Medicare patients.
What Doesn’t Plan F Cover?
Plan F covers every standardized Medigap benefit, but it does not pay for everything.
- Foreign emergencies: Plan F pays 80% of emergency care during foreign travel, up to plan limits. You pay the remaining 20% and any amount above those limits.
- Services Medicare does not cover: Like all Medigap plans, Plan F pays only toward Medicare-covered services. It 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 F?
With Plan F you pay the monthly premium. For Medicare-covered care in the United States, there is generally nothing else to pay.
| Cost you keep | When it applies | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly premium | Every month | Set by the carrier |
| Emergency care outside the United States | Travel abroad | 20% of covered emergency care, plus any amount above plan limits |
| Services Medicare does not cover | Drugs, dental, vision, hearing aids, custodial care | Paid separately or by other coverage |
Plan F turns Medicare’s variable cost sharing into a fixed premium. The decision is whether that premium is worth more to you than the costs it removes, compared with a plan that leaves the Part B deductible to you.
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What Does Plan F Cost?
There is no single price for Plan F. Plan F 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
Three points are specific to Plan F.
Compare the premium gap with the Part B deductible. Plan G matches Plan F except for the Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026. If a carrier’s yearly premium for Plan F is more than $283 above its premium for Plan G, 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 F, so ask which carriers still sell it in your ZIP code before you plan around it.
A high-deductible version exists. High-Deductible Plan F covers the same benefits after you pay up to $2,950 in Medicare-covered costs in 2026. It is also limited to people eligible before 2020 and is usually considered by those who want a lower premium in exchange for more cost sharing.
This page does not list Plan F 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 F?
Plan F 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 no Medicare cost sharing at all for covered care in the United States
- Sees, or expects to see, specialists who do not accept Medicare assignment
- Wants skilled nursing coinsurance and foreign travel emergencies covered
- Finds that Plan F’s premium is close enough to Plan G to justify paying for the Part B deductible
If you already have Plan F, you do not have to switch. Comparing your current premium with Plan G is reasonable, but outside a guaranteed-issue situation a new carrier can use medical underwriting. Keep Plan F in force until a replacement policy is approved.
How Plan F Compares With Plan G, Plan C and High-Deductible Plan F
Each of these plans differs from Plan F by one feature.
| Feature | Plan F | Plan G | Plan C | High-Deductible Plan F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who can buy it | Eligible before 2020 | Anyone eligible for Medigap | Eligible before 2020 | Eligible before 2020 |
| Plan deductible before benefits start | None | None | None | $2,950 in 2026 |
| Part B deductible | Yes | No | Yes | Yes, after the plan deductible |
| Part B excess charges | Yes | Yes | No | Yes, after the plan deductible |
| Hospital, skilled nursing, Part B coinsurance, blood, hospice | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, after the plan deductible |
| Foreign travel emergency care | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% |
Plan F vs. Plan G. The only difference is the Part B deductible. Plan G is open to anyone eligible for Medigap. See Medicare Supplement Plan G.
Plan F vs. Plan C. The only difference is Part B excess charges, which Plan F covers and Plan C does not. See Medicare Supplement Plan C.
Plan F vs. High-Deductible Plan F. Same benefits, but the high-deductible version pays nothing until you reach its yearly deductible. See High-Deductible Plan F.
To see every lettered plan side by side, compare all Medicare Supplement plans.
Enrollment, Availability and Underwriting
Plan F 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 F 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 F 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 F FAQs
Can I still buy Medicare Supplement Plan F?
Only if you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. People who became eligible on or after that date cannot buy Plan F, High-Deductible Plan F or Plan C.
Why can’t people new to Medicare buy Plan F?
Federal law ended sales of Medigap plans that pay the Part B deductible to people new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. Plan F pays that deductible, so it is closed to them.
I have Plan F. Do I have to switch?
No. If you already have Plan F, you can keep it. Medigap policies are renewed automatically each year as long as you pay the premium.
What is the difference between Plan F and Plan G?
Plan F pays the Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026, and Plan G does not. Their other benefits are identical, and Plan G is open to anyone eligible for Medigap.
What is the difference between Plan F and Plan C?
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.
Does Plan F cover everything?
It covers every standardized Medigap benefit, but it pays only toward Medicare-covered services. It does not cover prescription drugs, dental care, vision care, hearing aids or long-term custodial care, and it pays 80% of foreign emergency care up to plan limits.
What is High-Deductible Plan F?
It covers the same benefits as Plan F after you pay a yearly deductible of $2,950 in Medicare-covered costs in 2026. It is also limited to people eligible for Medicare before 2020.
Does Plan F cover Part B excess charges?
Yes. If a provider who does not accept Medicare assignment bills up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount, Plan F pays the difference.
Can I switch from Plan F 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 F in force until the new policy is approved.
Compare Plan F for Your ZIP Code
If you were eligible for Medicare before 2020, a Plan F decision usually comes down to how its premium compares with Plan G from the carriers that sell both in your ZIP code. We can run that comparison for your age and location, including whether keeping a Plan F 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