Medicare Supplement Plan G
Plan G
A Medigap plan, or Medicare Supplement, pays after Medicare to help cover your
deductibles, copays, and coinsurance that you would otherwise be responsible
for.
Medigap plans do not replace your Medicare Part B.
You must be enrolled in both Part A and Part B first, then you are eligible to enroll in a Medicare Supplement
(Medigap) Plan. Medicare Supplements can only pay on Medicare-approved charges.
The difference between the two plans is that Plan G doesn’t cover the Part B annual medical deductible ($185 for 2019), thus the supplement will not pay after Medicare for approved medical costs
until the policyholder has met their deductible.
A Plan G Medigap does offer “1stdollar” coverage on hospital in-patient care like the Plan F, meaning that the Plan G will pay the Medicare Part A deductible of $1346 in 2019 for an in-patient hospital benefit period.
In terms of premium pricing, the Plan G is usually the 2nd most expensive Medigap, trailing only the Plan F in cost.
In most cases, however, even though a policyholder with a Plan G would have to pay the $185 medical deductible, the difference in premiums between the F and the G over the cost of a year usually exceeds the cost of the deductible, allowing the Plan G policy holder to recoup the money paid out for the deductible and still save on their monthly plan premium.
Remember – Medicare Supplements (Medigaps) provide secondary health coverage, but neither Medicare nor supplements provide prescription drug or Part D coverage.
You would need to purchase a Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) for Part D coverage from an insurance company that sells PDP plans in your state, in addition to purchasing a Medicare supplement, if you desire to have Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) coverage as well as secondary health coverage.