Medicare Plan F vs. Plan G: Why Plan F Is Almost Never Worth It Anymore

If your parent has been on Medicare for a while, they might be on Medigap Plan F -- the plan that used to cover everything. Every deductible, every copay, every gap. For years, Plan F was the most popular Medigap plan in the country because it offered the simplest promise: pay your premium, and Original Medicare costs you nothing else.

That era is over. Plan F is no longer available to anyone who became Medicare-eligible after January 1, 2020, and the people still on it are watching their premiums climb faster than any other Medigap plan. Here's why that's happening and what your parent should do about it.

The only difference between Plan F and Plan G

This is the part that surprises most families. Plan F and Plan G are nearly identical. They cover the same hospital costs, the same coinsurance, the same excess charges, the same foreign travel emergencies. The only difference:

• Plan F covers the Medicare Part B annual deductible
• Plan G does not cover the Part B annual deductible

In 2026, the Part B deductible is $257.

That's it. The entire distinction between Plan F and Plan G is a $257 annual deductible. Your parent either pays it out of pocket (Plan G) or their Medigap plan pays it (Plan F). Once the deductible is met -- whether the plan pays it or your parent does -- the two plans function identically for the rest of the year.

Why Plan F premiums are rising faster

Here's where the math gets important. Since 2020, no one new has been allowed to enroll in Plan F. The only people in the Plan F pool are those who were already enrolled before the cutoff. Every year, this pool gets smaller (as enrollees pass away or switch plans) and older (as no young, healthy 65-year-olds enter the pool).

Insurance pricing depends on risk pools. When a pool is aging without new healthy members joining, costs per person rise. When costs rise, premiums rise. When premiums rise, the healthiest people in the pool switch to cheaper plans, leaving an even sicker (and more expensive) remaining pool. This feedback loop is sometimes called a "death spiral."

Plan F is not in a dramatic death spiral yet, but the trend is clear and accelerating. Across the country, Plan F premiums have been increasing at 8-15% per year in many markets, while Plan G premiums have been increasing at 3-6% per year. The gap widens every year.

Example: In many states, Plan F premiums are now $40-$80 per month more than Plan G premiums for the same carrier, same age, same zip code. That means your parent is paying $480-$960 more per year in premiums to avoid a $257 deductible. They are paying more for less.

The math: when does switching make sense?

The calculation is simple:

1. Get a quote for Plan G from the same carrier (or a competing carrier)
2. Calculate the annual premium savings: (Plan F monthly premium - Plan G monthly premium) x 12
3. Subtract the Part B deductible your parent would now pay: Annual savings - $257 = Net savings

If the net savings is positive, switching to Plan G saves money.

In most cases today, the answer is clear. If your parent is paying $50 more per month for Plan F than they would for Plan G, the annual premium savings is $600. Subtract the $257 deductible, and they save $343 per year. Every year. And the savings will likely grow as Plan F rates continue to outpace Plan G rates.

The risks of switching

Switching from Plan F to Plan G is not always seamless. There are two factors to consider:

Medical underwriting

If your parent switches Medigap plans outside of a guaranteed-issue period, the new carrier can use medical underwriting. This means they can:

• Deny the application based on health conditions
• Charge a higher premium based on health history
• Impose a waiting period for pre-existing conditions

However: Many carriers allow existing Plan F enrollees to downgrade to Plan G with the same carrier without medical underwriting. This is called a "plan change" rather than a new application. Check with your parent's current Medigap carrier first -- this is often the easiest path.

Some states also have laws that guarantee the right to switch between Medigap plans. New York, Connecticut, and a few others provide protections that prevent medical underwriting on plan changes.

Timing

The best time to evaluate switching is during your parent's annual birthday month. Some states have an annual open enrollment window around the policyholder's birthday that allows Medigap changes without medical underwriting. Check your parent's state insurance department website for specific rules.

Who should stay on Plan F

There are a few scenarios where staying on Plan F makes sense:

The premium difference is small. If Plan F only costs $10-$15 more per month than Plan G with the same carrier, the savings after accounting for the $257 deductible are minimal. The convenience of not dealing with any deductible may be worth the small premium difference, especially for a parent who finds any bills confusing or stressful.

Your parent has significant health conditions and cannot pass underwriting. If switching carriers would mean medical underwriting and the current carrier does not allow a plan downgrade, staying on Plan F may be the only option. Explore whether the same carrier offers a streamlined plan change before assuming this is the case.

Your parent is in their late 80s or 90s. The premium gap between Plan F and Plan G may narrow in the highest age brackets, and the hassle of switching may outweigh a few years of modest savings.

High Deductible Plan G: the option most people don't know about

For healthy, cost-conscious seniors, there's another option worth mentioning: High Deductible Plan G. This plan has the same benefits as regular Plan G, but with a much higher annual deductible ($2,870 in 2026) and significantly lower monthly premiums -- often $40-$70 per month compared to $150-$250 for standard Plan G.

The tradeoff: your parent pays for Medicare cost-sharing out of pocket until they've spent $2,870 in a year. After that, the plan covers everything.

High Deductible Plan G works well for parents who:

• Are healthy and rarely use healthcare beyond preventive services
• Have enough savings to absorb a $2,870 expense if needed
• Want the lowest possible monthly premium while still having catastrophic protection

It does not work well for parents who see doctors frequently or have chronic conditions that generate regular coinsurance charges.

How Plan F and Plan G compare to Plan N

If your parent is switching from Plan F anyway, it's worth comparing all three viable options:

For the detailed Plan G vs. Plan N comparison, including the breakeven analysis, read our dedicated guide.

What to do next

If your parent is currently on Plan F:

1. Call their Medigap carrier and ask for a Plan G quote. Ask specifically whether they can do a plan change without medical underwriting.

2. Get quotes from competing carriers for Plan G. Even if medical underwriting is required, a healthy parent may qualify for a significantly lower premium with a different company.

3. Do the math. Calculate annual premium savings minus the $257 deductible. If the net savings is $200+ per year, switching is worth serious consideration.

4. Check state-specific rules. Some states have birthday-month open enrollment or guaranteed-issue protections that make switching easier.

5. Don't wait. The premium gap between Plan F and Plan G is widening every year. The longer your parent stays on Plan F, the more they're overpaying relative to the nearly identical coverage Plan G provides.

Evaluating Medigap plans is one of the highest-impact financial decisions you can make for your parent. If you want a side-by-side comparison worksheet, premium tracking template, and carrier evaluation checklist, the Medicare Enrollment Guide includes all of it for $14.