Plan F Is Still Available, But You Probably Can’t Get It
Medicare Supplement Plan F didn’t disappear. It’s still being sold in 2026, premiums are still being collected, and hundreds of thousands of people still have it. But since January 1, 2020, it’s been closed to new enrollees who became eligible for Medicare after that date. So if you turned 65 in 2020 or later, Plan F is off the table for you. Full stop.
This confuses a lot of people, and I understand why. You’ll still see Plan F listed on comparison tools. Insurers still advertise it. If you call a broker who isn’t paying attention, they might even try to quote it to you. But if you aged into Medicare after December 31, 2019, no insurer is legally allowed to sell you Plan F.
The reason this rule exists comes down to the MACRA law Congress passed in 2015. Lawmakers decided that covering the Part B deductible entirely (which Plan F does) encouraged overuse of medical services. Whether you agree with that reasoning or not, the law is the law. Anyone who was already Medicare-eligible before 2020 was grandfathered in. Everyone else got Plan G as the new gold standard.
So before we go any further: check your Medicare eligibility date. If you turned 65 before January 1, 2020, keep reading. If you didn’t, skip to the section on Plan G. I won’t waste your time.
What Plan F Actually Covers (And Why It Was So Popular)
Plan F was the most popular Medigap plan in the country for a long time, and that’s not an accident. It covers everything Original Medicare doesn’t. Every gap. Nothing left for you to pay out of pocket, with one exception: your monthly premium.
Here’s exactly what Plan F covers on top of what Medicare Parts A and B pay:
- Part A deductible (2026 amount: $1,676 per benefit period)
- Part A coinsurance and hospital costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are exhausted
- Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
- Part B deductible (2026 amount: $257)
- Part B coinsurance or copayment (the standard 20% Medicare doesn’t cover)
- Part B excess charges
- Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance
- First three pints of blood
- Foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits)
That Part B deductible coverage is the one thing Plan F has that Plan G doesn’t. That’s it. That’s the entire difference. The 2026 Part B deductible is $257. If your Plan F premium is more than $257 per year higher than a comparable Plan G premium, you’re paying more for less. And in most states I’ve looked at, that’s exactly what’s happening.
There’s also a High-Deductible Plan F option. It works differently: you pay all Medicare-covered costs until you hit a deductible ($2,870 in 2026), and then the plan kicks in. The tradeoff is a much lower monthly premium. I’ll come back to this later because it’s actually underused and sometimes the right call.
The Plan F vs. Plan G Math You Need to Do Right Now
If you’re grandfathered into Plan F eligibility and you’re comparing your options, here’s the honest breakdown. Plan G covers everything Plan F covers except the Part B deductible. That deductible is $257 in 2026. So the only question is: how much more are you paying in premiums for Plan F versus Plan G?
I’ve seen Plan F premiums run $30 to $80 per month higher than Plan G for the same age group and region. That’s $360 to $960 per year. For a benefit worth $257. The math doesn’t work in Plan F’s favor for most people who are just starting out with Medigap.
Here’s a side-by-side to make it concrete:
| Feature | Plan F | Plan G |
|---|---|---|
| Part B Deductible Covered | Yes ($257 in 2026) | No (you pay $257/year) |
| Part A Deductible Covered | Yes | Yes |
| Part B Excess Charges Covered | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign Travel Emergency | Yes | Yes |
| Typical Monthly Premium (age 65) | $150-$250+ | $100-$200 |
| Available to New Enrollees? | No (post-2019 eligibility) | Yes |
That said, there’s a scenario where staying on Plan F makes sense: if you already have it, your premiums haven’t climbed dramatically, and you’re healthy. Switching to Plan G typically requires medical underwriting outside of guaranteed issue windows, and if you have health issues, you might not qualify. In that case, staying put beats risking a denial.
The Biggest Mistake I See People Make With Plan F
Here’s the mistake that costs people real money: assuming Plan F is being phased out means their existing coverage is going away, or that they need to switch immediately to stay covered. It doesn’t, and they don’t. If you already have Plan F, your coverage is not being cancelled. You can keep it as long as you keep paying the premiums and your insurer stays in the market.
What IS happening, and what you should actually pay attention to, is the pricing trend. Because new, younger (and typically healthier) people can no longer join Plan F pools, the existing pool of Plan F members gets older every year. Older members use more healthcare. That means claims go up, and premiums follow. This is called adverse selection, and it’s a real problem for Plan F going forward.
If you’ve had Plan F since before 2020 and your premiums have been increasing faster than Plan G rates in your area, that’s a signal worth paying attention to. I’d suggest calling a few insurers for Plan G quotes and comparing the total annual cost. If you’re healthy enough to pass underwriting, switching could save you money. If you’re not, staying on Plan F might still be your best option regardless of the math.
The other mistake I see: people who aged into Medicare before 2020 but never enrolled in Medigap, and now think they missed their chance at Plan F. If you’re in a guaranteed issue situation, like you’re newly losing employer coverage, you can still enroll in Plan F if you were eligible before 2020. Don’t assume that window is closed without checking your specific situation with an insurance agent who knows the rules.
High-Deductible Plan F: The Option Nobody Talks About Enough
High-Deductible Plan F is genuinely worth knowing about if you’re eligible. You get the same coverage as regular Plan F, but you pay a $2,870 deductible in 2026 before the plan starts covering costs. In exchange, your monthly premium can drop to $30 to $70 per month in many states.
Think about who that suits. A 66-year-old in Ohio who’s relatively healthy, rarely goes to the hospital, and wants catastrophic protection without paying $180 a month for regular Plan F premiums. Over a healthy year, they might pay nothing out of pocket beyond their low premium. Over a bad year, they pay up to $2,870 plus their premiums. Either way, they have a ceiling.
Compare that to someone with ongoing health issues who needs regular specialist visits and has a history of hospitalizations. For that person, the full coverage of standard Plan F or Plan G is probably worth the higher premium because they’ll hit that deductible fast and then have nothing else to pay.
High-Deductible Plan G is also available to anyone, and works the same way for post-2020 enrollees. The deductible is identical ($2,870 in 2026). If you’re not Plan F-eligible, High-Deductible Plan G is the equivalent option and worth comparing against standard Plan G before you commit.
Bottom Line
If you became Medicare-eligible after January 1, 2020, Plan F isn’t an option and Plan G is what you want. If you’re already on Plan F and your premiums are reasonable, don’t panic, just watch the pricing trend and run the numbers annually. For most people shopping Medigap today, Plan G gives you nearly identical coverage at a lower price, and that’s the right call for the majority of new enrollees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still buy Medicare Supplement Plan F in 2026?
Only if you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. That means you turned 65 before that date or qualified for Medicare due to disability before then. If you aged into Medicare in 2020 or later, no insurer can legally sell you Plan F.
Is it worth switching from Plan F to Plan G?
Often yes, but it depends on two things: how much more you’re paying for Plan F versus Plan G in your area, and whether you’re healthy enough to pass underwriting. If the premium gap is more than $257 per year (the 2026 Part B deductible), Plan G saves you money on paper. But if you have health conditions and could be denied coverage, staying on Plan F might be the smarter move.
Will Plan F be cancelled or phased out completely?
No. Existing Plan F policies won’t be cancelled because of the 2020 rule change. You can keep your Plan F as long as you pay your premiums. The issue is that premiums for Plan F tend to increase faster over time because the pool of members is getting older and no new, younger members are joining it.
What’s the difference between Plan F and High-Deductible Plan F?
Both cover the same things, but High-Deductible Plan F requires you to pay the first $2,870 of Medicare-covered costs (in 2026) before your coverage kicks in. The payoff is a much lower monthly premium, sometimes $30 to $70 per month versus $150 or more for standard Plan F. It’s a good fit for people who are healthy and want protection against a major medical event without a large monthly bill.
