What Are Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans — And Why They Matter
When you enroll in Original Medicare (Part A + Part B), those plans cover many health-care needs. But they don’t cover everything. That’s where a supplemental insurance policy — a “Medigap” plan — can help.
A Medicare Supplement plan can fill the “gaps” left by Medicare: things like hospital coinsurance, Part B coinsurance, skilled-nursing facility costs, foreign travel emergencies, and other out-of-pocket expenses. Encyclopedia Britannica+2medicare.org+2
As of 2025, among the Medigap offerings, two plans stand out for most people: Medicare Supplement Plan G and Medicare Supplement Plan N. Both are standardized across insurers — so the benefits are the same regardless of company, though premiums vary by age, location, and insurer. Encyclopedia Britannica+2directtoconsumerins.com+2
What Plan G and Plan N Cover (What’s Common)
Both Plan G and Plan N cover many essential benefits under Medigap, including (for 2025): medicarewire.com+2Policy Guide+2
- Hospitalization costs under Part A (coinsurance, inpatient care, skilled nursing, etc.). Policy Guide+1
- Medicare-approved services under Part B (after deductible), including outpatient care, doctor visits, specialist visits, lab tests, imaging, etc. Policy Guide+1
- Skilled nursing facility coinsurance
- Hospice care under Part A
- Blood (first 3 pints) if needed
- Foreign travel emergency care (under certain limits) medicarewire.com+2medicare.org+2
In short: both plans offer robust protection against many of the financial risks that come with aging and medical needs — they shield you from most of the gaps in Original Medicare.