What Medigap Plan F Covers and Why It’s Closed to New Enrollees

If you’re researching what Medigap Plan F is, you’ve likely encountered conflicting information. Plan F is the most comprehensive Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy ever offered—but it’s also the one surrounded by the most confusion. Here’s the straight answer: Plan F pays nearly all your out-of-pocket Medicare costs, but it is no longer available to newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries. Understanding its coverage and eligibility rules helps you decide whether to keep it, seek it out, or choose an alternative.

What Medigap Plan F Covers

Plan F is a standardized Medigap policy, meaning every insurer selling it must offer identical benefits. It covers the gaps left by Original Medicare:

- Part A hospital deductible and coinsurance

- Part B coinsurance and copayments

- Part A hospice care coinsurance

- Skilled nursing facility coinsurance

- Part A and Part B deductibles

- Part B excess charges

- Foreign travel emergency care (80% up to plan limits)

- Blood transfusions (first 3 pints)

In practice, Medigap Plan F leaves you with virtually zero cost-sharing for Medicare-covered services. That’s why it earned the nickname “first-dollar coverage.”

Who Can Still Enroll in Plan F?

Since January 1, 2020, Plan F is closed to anyone who became eligible for Medicare on or after that date. However, two groups can still buy it:

1. Beneficiaries who turned 65 before 2020 and were eligible for Medicare before that cutoff.

2. Individuals covered by a Medicare SELECT Plan F or who had Plan F continuously and are switching carriers.

If you already have Plan F, you can keep it. If you’re newly eligible, you’ll need to look at Plan G or Plan N instead.

Plan F vs. Plan G: The Practical Difference

Plan G is the closest substitute and the most popular Medigap choice today. The only difference: Plan G does not cover the Part B deductible. Once you pay that deductible, Plan G mirrors Plan F’s coverage. For most new enrollees, the premium savings on Plan G outweigh the deductible cost.