Medicare Supplement Plan F: Pros, Cons, Cost and Coverage

Medicare Supplement Insurance — also known as Medigap — is sold by private insurance companies to cover “gaps” in Original Medicare coverage, such as copays, coinsurance and deductibles. Medicare Supplement Plan F offers maximum coverage, but it’s only available if you turned 65 before 2020.

Even if you’re eligible, Medicare Supplement Plan F can be significantly more expensive than its Medigap alternatives, so you may spend more than the additional coverage you’d get. If you’re not eligible to buy Plan F, you can purchase other Medigap plans with nearly as much coverage.

Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F is often called Medigap Plan F. You might also see it referred to as "Medicare Plan F" or even "Medicare Part F," even though those labels aren't quite accurate.

What is Medicare Supplement Plan F?

After Medicare pays its share of the approved amount for covered health care costs and services, Medigap Plan F helps pay for the remaining copays, coinsurance and deductibles. As the most comprehensive Medigap plan, Plan F covers nearly all out-of-pocket costs associated with Original Medicare.

Plan F is the most popular Medicare Supplement Insurance plan, covering about 39% of all Medigap members as of 2022. But it’s losing market share because new Medicare members can no longer enroll in Plan F. Plan G and Plan N are common alternatives.

Medigap plans are only for Original Medicare members, not for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. And if you became eligible for Medicare in 2020 or later, you can't purchase a Medigap policy that covers the Medicare Part B deductible, which rules out Plan F (and Plan C).

If you were already covered by Plan F before Jan. 1, 2020, you can keep your plan. And if you were eligible for Medicare before that date but haven't yet enrolled, you may be able to buy a Plan F policy.

But even if you’re eligible, you should check the monthly premiums — you may be paying a lot more now for Plan F than you will for its closest alternative, Medigap Plan G plus the Part B deductible.

»

MORE:

Medicare Supplement Plan F pros and cons

Medigap Plan F has pros and cons:

What Medigap Plan F covers

Here’s what Medigap Plan F covers, according to Medicare.gov:

• Part A coinsurance and hospital costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are used up.

• Part A deductible.

• Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment.

• Part B coinsurance or copayment.

• Part B deductible. (Since 2020, new Medicare members can’t buy any plan that covers the Part B deductible. However, this coverage is available for Medicare beneficiaries currently enrolled in Medigap Plan C and Plan F.)

• Part B excess charges (if a provider is permitted to charge more than Medicare’s approved amount and does so).

• Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance.

• Blood transfusion (first three pints).

• Emergency health care services for the first 60 days when traveling outside the U.S.

Plan F is also available as a high-deductible plan in some states, in which case coverage kicks in only after you meet a deductible of .

» MORE:

What Medigap Plan F doesn't cover

Medigap Plan F offers the most comprehensive coverage of any Medigap plan. There isn't a Medigap plan that covers more than Plan F, but you should know that Medigap plans don’t cover everything.

Medigap Plan F doesn’t cover the following, nor do any Medigap plans sold to new Medicare members:

• Prescription drugs.

• Long-term care (like non-skilled care you get in a nursing home).

• Dental care

• Vision care.

• Hearing aids.

• Private-duty nursing.

How much does Medicare Supplement Plan F cost?

Prices vary according to age, location, tobacco use and other factors. Premiums for a 75-year-old female nonsmoker range from $166 to $509 per month in Atlanta, for example, which has average costs among major U.S. metro areas for the most popular Medigap plan types.

Premiums for Medicare Supplement Plan F are set by the private health insurance companies that sell it, even though the plans are regulated by the government.

» MORE:

Some states also offer a high-deductible Plan F, which provides the same benefits after a deductible of is paid. Monthly premiums for the same 75-year-old nonsmoker in Atlanta range from $53 to $77.

💬 From our Nerds: Is Medicare Supplement Plan F worth it?

“Medicare Supplement Plan F offers a lot of coverage, but it’s not necessarily the best value. Sometimes lower Plan G premiums might outweigh the cost of losing coverage for the Medicare Part B deductible, for example. Compare quotes to find the best option for you.”

Medigap Plan F alternatives

If you’re not eligible for Medigap Plan F but want a similar option, Plan G is the closest alternative. Medigap Plan G covers everything in Plan F except for the Medicare Part B deductible, since plans sold to new members can’t include that coverage.

You can compare Medicare Supplement plans' costs and coverage to decide what plan would work best for you.

Medigap plans are standard in every state except Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin, which have their own policies. Plans are regulated by the government, but they’re sold by private insurance companies, and it’s the companies that set the prices.

Buy Medicare Supplement Plan F during Medigap open enrollment

You can get the best price and have the smoothest enrollment experience if you sign up for a Medigap plan during your Medigap open enrollment period.

» MORE: