Plan C at a glance
Medigap Plan C: Overview
If you’re looking for supplemental health insurance, you may want to consider a Medigap plan. Medigap plans are offered by private insurers and help cover costs that Original Medicare doesn’t, such as deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments.
Medigap Plan C is one of the most comprehensive Medigap plans, but it has an important limit on who can buy it. Because of a change in federal law, Plan C is only available to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. If you became eligible on or after that date, you can’t buy Plan C, though people who already have it can generally keep it.
Medigap Plan C is not the same as Medicare Part C. Part C is another name for Medicare Advantage, a separate way to get your Medicare benefits through a private plan.
Medigap Plan C Coverage
Plan C covers everything Plan A does and adds several major costs. It pays 100% of Part A coinsurance and hospital costs for up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are used up, Part B coinsurance or copayments, the first three pints of blood, Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayments, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, the Part A deductible, and the Part B deductible. It also pays 80% of foreign travel emergency care, up to plan limits.
What Medigap Plan C Does Not Cover
The one standard benefit Plan C leaves out is Part B excess charges. These are extra charges of up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount that a doctor who doesn’t accept Medicare assignment can bill you. Like all Medigap plans sold today, Plan C does not include prescription drug, dental, vision, or hearing coverage.
Plan C Compared With Plan F and Plan G
Plan F covers everything Plan C does plus Part B excess charges, and it has the same eligibility rule. For people new to Medicare, Plan G is the closest option available. It covers everything Plan C does except the Part B deductible, and it adds coverage for Part B excess charges.
Medigap Plan C Enrollment
To enroll in Medigap Plan C, you’ll need Medicare Part A and Part B and must have been eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. The cost of Plan C varies by insurance company and by where you live.
The best time to buy Medigap Plan C 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.
You can apply for a Medigap plan at other times of the year too, so feel free to ask one of our licensed Medicare agents any questions you have about Medigap or any other Medicare policy.
Medicare Supplement Insurance
Medigap Plans Compared
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| 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.
