Plan B at a glance
Medigap Plan B: Overview
Medicare supplements, also known as Medigap plans, are insurance policies that help cover some of the costs that are not covered by Original Medicare. There are ten different Medigap plans available, and each one offers a different level of coverage.
Medigap Plan B is one step up from Plan A. It includes all of the core benefits every Medigap plan covers and adds one important benefit: the Part A hospital deductible. That deductible applies each benefit period, so it can come up more than once in a year if you are hospitalized more than once.
Medigap Plan B Coverage
Medigap Plan B covers everything Medigap Plan A does plus your hospital deductible. That means it covers 100% of the costs associated with five things: Medicare Part A coinsurance payments for inpatient hospital care for up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are exhausted, Medicare Part B copayment or coinsurance expenses, the first three pints of blood used in a medical procedure, Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayments, and the Part A hospital deductible.
What Medigap Plan B Does Not Cover
Plan B does not cover the yearly Part B deductible, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, Part B excess charges, or foreign travel emergency care. Skilled nursing coinsurance can add up quickly after day 20 of a covered stay, so it is worth weighing if you expect to need rehab or nursing care.
Like every Medigap plan sold today, Plan B does not include prescription drug, dental, vision, or hearing coverage. You can add a separate Medicare Part D plan for prescriptions.
Who Medigap Plan B Is Best For
Plan B can fit people who want their hospital deductible and coinsurance covered but are comfortable paying the Part B deductible and any skilled nursing costs themselves. It is worth comparing against plans with broader coverage, like Plan G and Plan N, before you decide.
Medigap Plan B Enrollment
To buy Medigap Plan B, you must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B. You can’t use a Medigap plan with a Medicare Advantage plan, and it is illegal for an insurer to sell you a Medigap policy while you have Medicare Advantage unless you are switching back to Original Medicare.
The best time to buy Medigap Plan B is during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. This 6-month window starts the first month you have Medicare Part B and are 65 or older. During it, an insurance company can’t turn you down or charge you more because of your health. After it ends, insurers in most states can use medical underwriting, which means you could pay more or be denied coverage unless you have a guaranteed issue right.
Medicare Supplement Insurance
Medigap Plans Compared
Swipe to see all plans
| Benefits | A | B | C | D | F* | G* | K | L | M | N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A coinsurance and hospital costs (up to 365 extra days) | ||||||||||
| Part B coinsurance or copayment | 50% | 75% | † | |||||||
| Blood (first 3 pints) | 50% | 75% | ||||||||
| Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment | 50% | 75% | ||||||||
| Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance | 50% | 75% | ||||||||
| Part A deductible$1,736 in 2026 | 50% | 75% | 50% | |||||||
| Part B deductible$283 in 2026 | ||||||||||
| Part B excess charges | ||||||||||
| Foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits) | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | ||||
| Yearly out-of-pocket limit2026 limits | $8,000 | $4,000 |
* Plans F and G also come in a high-deductible version. You pay Medicare-covered costs up to the deductible ($2,950 in 2026) before the plan pays.
Plans C and F are available only if you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.
Plans K and L pay 100% of covered services for the rest of the year once you reach the yearly out-of-pocket limit ($8,000 for Plan K and $4,000 for Plan L in 2026) and the Part B deductible.
† Plan N pays 100% of Part B coinsurance, except up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for ER visits that don’t result in an inpatient admission.
