Medicare Supplement Plan G vs N
Medicare Supplement Plan G and Plan N are two of the most popular Medicare Supplement or Medigap plans.
Plan G is the most comprehensive of the two plans, but Plan N offers a very good value for a lower monthly premium.
How Are Plan G and Plan N Similar?
Medicare Supplement Plan G and Plan N offer the same coverage for Medicare Parts A and B deductibles and coinsurance. Also Skilled nursing and rehab facility stays, hospice care, and foreign travel emergency.
Neither plan covers the Medicare Part B deductible. This is an annual deductible that you are responsible to pay each year. This deductible re-sets every January and it can change from year to year.
With Plan G, once you meet the deductible during the year, the plan covers 100% of medical costs for the remainder of the year.
Out Of Pocket Costs With Plan N
With Plan N, once you’ve met the Part B deductible during the year, you could have up to a $20 co-pay for primary or specialist office visits.
Telehealth visits, where you consult with a doctor over the phone, are not office visits. So there’s no co-pay for this service.
Another co –pay you could have is if you go to the Emergency room, then you could have up to a $50 co-pay. But, if you get admitted as an inpatient to the hospital,, the co-pay is waived.
Part B Excess Charges
One other benefit that plan N doesn’t cover is Part B Excess Charges. This is an amount up to 15% that a healthcare Provider can charge in addition to the amount of what Medicare approves for services. Doctors that accept Medicare Assignment or Medicare as “payment in full” are called Participating Providers. They cannot bill for Excess Charges.
You won’t have to worry about any balance billing with plan N, as long as you see Doctors and providers that accept Medicare Assignment.
You can find out if a Doctor accepts Medicare Assignment by going to the Physician Finder tool on Medicare’s website.
What States Prohibit Excess Charges?
Some states, by law, do not allow Excess Charges. This law is the Medicare Overcharge Measure or MOM law. So if you live or travel to any of these states you won’t have excess charge billing in those states.
The following states prohibit Excess Charges:
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
Most doctors and providers today accept Medicare and Medicare assignment, so balance billing is rare. You should still make sure your doctors are fully participating in Medicare before seeing them.
If you see the Doctor once or more per month, then the co-pays can add up and you’ll be better off getting a Plan G. If you’re healthy now, and worried about paying lots of co pays if your health changes down the road, then plan G may give you more peace of mind.
Medicare Supplement Plan G vs N, Which Is Better?
A Plan N with lower monthly premiums than Plan G, can provide more savings. Especially if you don’t go to the doctor very often.
All Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans are standardized by the government. This means that the plan benefits are exactly the same from company to company. The only difference is the price.
A Plan G or N with one company has the exact same benefits as a Plan G or N with another company. It’s important for you to know that it’s not always best to go with the lowest rate. Some companies have higher rate increases than others.
We use specialized software that allows us to see the market data history of all the companies in the area. Get in touch with us for a quote in your area.
If you have questions on any of the plans, then give us a Call at (800) 783-5901 or Email us at Info@usamedicareplan.com.
Our service is 100% FREE and we’re happy to help you.
