For anyone newly eligible today, the Medigap shortlist is two letters long. G covers more and costs more; N covers slightly less and usually costs meaningfully less. Here is the entire difference, priced honestly.
What is identical (which is almost everything)
Both plans cover the big-ticket items in full: the $1,736 hospital deductible, Part A coinsurance with 365 extra hospital days, the $217-per-day skilled nursing coinsurance for days 21 to 100, and foreign travel emergencies at 80 percent. Both leave you the small $283 Part B deductible. On catastrophic risk, G and N are the same excellent plan.
Difference 1: the copays
Plan N charges up to $20 per office visit and up to $50 for an ER visit that does not admit you. G charges neither. Multiply your realistic visit count: an every-other-month specialist habit is roughly $120 a year in copays; a twice-a-year checkup routine is $40. Small, knowable numbers.
Difference 2: Part B excess charges
G covers them; N does not. Excess charges are the up-to-15 percent above the Medicare-approved amount that a minority of non-participating providers may bill. Most providers accept assignment and charge none; several states outlaw the practice entirely. Florida permits it, so the N-buyer's homework is one question at each new provider: do you accept Medicare assignment? Ask it, and the risk mostly evaporates.
Difference 3: the premium gap
N typically prices noticeably below G for the same person, and the gap compounds because percentage increases ride on a smaller base. The break-even arithmetic is simple: if your annual premium savings exceed your realistic copays plus your excess-charge exposure, N wins the math. For many lighter users of care, it does. For frequent flyers of the medical system, G's all-inclusive shape wins instead.
The side-by-side
| Feature | Plan G | Plan N |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital deductible and coinsurance | Covered | Covered |
| The uncapped 20% (Part B coinsurance) | Covered | Covered, minus small copays |
| Office / ER copays | None | Up to $20 / up to $50 |
| Part B excess charges | Covered | Not covered |
| Part B deductible ($283) | You pay | You pay |
| Typical premium | Higher | Lower |
The professor's tiebreakers
- Choose G if you see specialists often, hate variable costs, or want zero assignment homework.
- Choose N if you are a light user with a budget streak and no fear of one polite question per provider.
- Either way, shop the carrier, not just the letter. Identical coverage, different rate histories; that comparison is our job, free.
Questions about how this applies to you? That is what office hours are for: call (561) 770-7957 or book a free review. No cost, no pressure, ever.
