Medicare Supplement Plan N Cost in 2026

If you're comparing Medicare Supplement plans this year, you've probably noticed Plan N coming up more often in the conversation — and for good reason.

In most states, Plan N runs $20 to $50 less per month than Plan G for identical hospital and doctor coverage.

Your actual premium depends on your age, ZIP code, gender, tobacco use, the carrier you choose, and how that carrier prices its policies. That's why two people with the exact same plan can pay very different amounts.

I always tell my clients to shop by ZIP code, not by brand name alone. It's the single biggest lever on what you'll actually pay.

It's also the theme you'll see repeated throughout this page.

Plan N is currently the second most popular Medicare Supplement plan, behind only Plan G, largely because of that price gap.

Average Medicare Supplement Plan N Cost in 2026

Here's what Plan N tends to cost based on age and gender. These are sample premiums to give you a sense of range — your quote will vary by ZIP code and carrier.

These figures are illustrative estimates only. Actual premiums are set by each carrier and vary by state, county, and underwriting class.

Don't anchor on the low end of these ranges. Carriers often lead with an attractive rate for new enrollees and adjust from there.

The number that matters most isn't today's cheapest quote — it's how that carrier has priced Plan N over the past five or ten years.

2026 Sample Plan N Premiums by Company

Carrier pricing is where things get interesting. The company with the lowest Plan N rate in one county isn't always the cheapest one town over — pricing is local, and it changes often.

How Much Does Plan N Cost in Your State?

Beyond carrier, your state and county play a major role in your quote. A retiree in a lower-cost rural county often pays less than someone in a major metro area within the same state.

These are just a sample of four popular states. See our Medigap quote tool to find out how much it costs in your state.

A handful of states require community rating, meaning your premium can't be based on your age at all — everyone pays the same rate regardless of whether they're 65 or 85.

In states without that requirement, age-based pricing can create a much wider range between what a 65-year-old and a 78-year-old pay for the identical policy.

How to Estimate Your Own Plan N Cost

Every number on this page is a starting point, not your actual quote. At Policy Guide, we start every conversation with a quick needs analysis — a few questions about your doctors, your prescriptions, your budget, and how you actually use your coverage — before we ever pull a quote.

That's what lets us point you toward the carrier that actually fits, instead of just the cheapest one on paper.

Here's how we walk clients through estimating their own real cost:

1. Start with your ZIP code. This is the single biggest factor in your quote, more than any other item on this list.
2. Compare at least 5 carriers licensed in your area, not just the one or two names you recognize.
3. Apply any household discount if a spouse or another adult in your home is also enrolling.
4. Check the carrier's rating method — attained-age, issue-age, or community-rated — since it determines how your premium grows over the next decade, not just today.
5. Review recent rate history for each carrier rather than trusting the first-year quote alone.
6. Compare your expected copays against the premium savings, using your last twelve months of doctor visits as a guide.
7. Don't buy on brand name alone. A well-known carrier isn't always the best value in your area — see our list of common Medigap shopping mistakes to avoid.

Run through those seven steps and you'll have a far more accurate number than any national average table can give you.

Get quotes refreshed at least once every couple of years, even if you're happy with your current carrier. I've seen clients who were on the cheapest Plan N in their county at enrollment fall into the middle or back of the pack within a few years without ever knowing it.

Our Medigap cost calculator is a quick way to check where you stand.

Why the Cheapest Plan N Today May Not Stay the Cheapest

This is one of the most overlooked parts of shopping for Plan N, and it's worth slowing down for.

Carriers don't all raise rates the same year, or by the same amount.

A company that held its Plan N premium flat for three years can suddenly file a double-digit increase, while a competitor down the street stays steady.

A few forces drive this:

• Medical inflation: rising hospital and outpatient costs eventually work their way into every carrier's rate filings, just on different schedules.
• Age-rating: on attained-age policies, your premium climbs as you get older, layered on top of any general rate increase the carrier files.
• Closed blocks of business: when a carrier stops selling a plan to new enrollees but keeps existing policyholders on it, that shrinking, aging group can see steeper increases since there are no new, younger enrollees to balance the risk pool.
• Carrier strategy: some companies price aggressively low to win new business, then raise rates more steeply a few years in once you're less likely to shop around.

I've seen quotes that looked like a steal in year one turn into the most expensive option in the room by year four.

In some cases, a carrier closes a block of business entirely, which changes the math for everyone still on it.

This is exactly why I re-shop clients' policies periodically rather than assuming the carrier they picked at 65 is still the best value at 70.

Comparing rate history by ZIP code matters more than a single year's premium.

Why Is Plan N Less Expensive Than Plan G?

Plan N and Plan G cover the same hospital stays under Part A and share nearly identical Part B coverage. The price gap comes down to a few specific cost-sharing differences:

• Office visit copay: Plan N charges up to a $20 copay for doctor visits, which Plan G doesn't.
• ER copay: Plan N adds up to a $50 copay for emergency room visits that don't result in admission.
• Part B excess charges: Plan N doesn't cover excess charges some doctors bill above what Medicare approves; Plan G does.
• Everything else: Hospital coverage, Part A deductible, skilled nursing coinsurance, and foreign travel emergency coverage are identical between the two plans.

Insurers can price Plan N lower because shifting a small, predictable slice of cost back to you — a $20 copay here, a $50 copay there — lowers the carrier's overall claims exposure.

That's just enough to meaningfully reduce the premium for everyone on the plan.

Who tends to save money on Plan N: healthy retirees with few office visits, people who don't see high-volume specialists, and anyone whose doctors accept Medicare assignment (so excess charges never come into play).

When Plan G is the better value instead: if you see doctors frequently enough that copays would exceed the premium savings, Plan G's first-dollar coverage can end up cheaper overall despite the higher premium.

The same is true if a specialist you rely on regularly bills Part B excess charges.

Plan N vs. Plan G Cost Comparison

Seen over a full year, a $45 monthly difference adds up to $540 — often more than enough to cover a year's worth of Plan N's office visit and ER copays.

For a closer look at what's driving the Plan G side of that gap, see our Plan G cost breakdown, or see how both stack up against a third option in our Plan G vs. Plan N vs. High Deductible Plan G comparison.

Real Cost Examples

The savings math looks different depending on how often you actually use your coverage. Here are two examples I use with clients.

Both come out ahead on Plan N in these examples — but the gap narrows fast for frequent specialist visits, which is exactly why I ask clients about their actual doctor visits before recommending either plan.

Hidden Costs to Watch For

People search for Plan N's cost because they don't want surprises later. A few costs are easy to miss if you're only looking at the premium:

• Part B excess charges: not covered by Plan N — worth confirming your doctors accept Medicare assignment before you enroll.
• The Part B deductible: Plan N doesn't cover this either, though it's the same modest deductible under every Medigap plan except Plan F and Plan C.
• Office and ER copays: small individually, but they add up faster for people with frequent visits.
• Future rate increases: today's cheapest carrier isn't guaranteed to stay that way — see the rate-history section above.
• Medical underwriting if you switch later: outside your initial enrollment window or a Guaranteed Issue event, moving to a different carrier's Plan N usually requires answering health questions.

What Affects Your Plan N Premium?

Your quote is built from several factors, and understanding them helps explain why your neighbor's premium might not match yours:

• ZIP code: local healthcare costs and carrier competition vary by county — still the single biggest factor I see.
• State regulations: some states limit rating practices or require community rating.
• Age: premiums generally increase as you get older, though how much depends on the rating method below.
• Gender: many carriers price men and women slightly differently.
• Tobacco use: smokers typically pay a higher premium than non-smokers.
• Household discount: many carriers offer 5–12% off if a spouse or another adult in your household also enrolls.
• Rating method: carriers use attained-age, issue-age, or community-rated pricing, which affects how your premium grows over time, not just where it starts.

The 5-Year Cost of Plan N vs. Plan G

A single month's premium tells you almost nothing about long-term cost. Here's a rough 5-year projection using typical rate-increase assumptions:

Based on sample assumptions of typical historical rate increases; actual increases vary by carrier and state and are not guaranteed.

Even after factoring in Plan N's copays over five years, the premium gap tends to widen rather than close.

This is exactly why I encourage clients to think in years, not months, when comparing these two plans.

Can You Switch to Plan N?

Yes, at any time of year — unlike Medicare Advantage, Medigap isn't limited to the Annual Election Period. See our full guide on switching to Plan N anytime, including when medical underwriting applies and when Guaranteed Issue rights waive it.

Who Saves the Most Money With Plan N?

Plan N tends to be the strongest fit for healthy retirees who don't visit the doctor frequently, anyone prioritizing a lower monthly premium over first-dollar coverage, and people whose doctors accept Medicare assignment.

For the full benefits breakdown, see our Plan N overview.

It's less ideal if you see specialists often or if your doctors regularly bill Part B excess charges.

For a deeper side-by-side, see our full Plan G vs. Plan N comparison.

Bottom line: the biggest mistake I see isn't choosing the wrong Medigap plan — it's choosing the right plan from the wrong carrier.

Since every Plan N provides the same standardized benefits, your long-term value comes down to your ZIP code, the company's pricing method, its rate history, and how often you actually use your coverage.

If you compare those factors instead of focusing only on the lowest advertised premium, you'll usually make a much better long-term decision.