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Medigap Plan G vs Plan N in Arizona: A Real Cost Comparison

If you have decided that a Medicare Supplement plan is right for you, the decision usually comes down to two letters: G or N. They are the two most popular Medigap plans sold in Arizona, and they cover most of the same things. But the small differences between them decide whether you save money or spend more over a year. Here is exactly what separates them, and how to run the math for your own situation — without guesswork.

What is the difference between Medigap Plan G and Plan N?

Plan G and Plan N cover the same core benefits, including the Part A hospital deductible and Part B coinsurance. Plan N differs in two ways: it charges small copays for some office and emergency room visits, and it does not cover Part B excess charges. In exchange, Plan N usually carries a lower monthly premium.

First, some plain-English definitions. A Medigap plan (also called a Medicare Supplement) is private insurance that pays the deductibles and coinsurance Original Medicare leaves behind. Coinsurance is your percentage share of a bill — under Part B that is normally 20% with no cap, which is the gap Medigap exists to close.

Medigap plans are standardized by the federal government. That means Plan G from one company covers exactly the same benefits as Plan G from another. Only the price, the company's service, and its history of rate increases differ. The same is true of Plan N. This is the single most useful fact about shopping for a Medigap plan in Arizona: you are comparing price and company stability, not coverage.

Both Plan G and Plan N pay for your Part A hospital deductible ($1,736 per benefit period in 2026), the daily hospital coinsurance after day 60, skilled nursing facility coinsurance for days 21 through 100, hospice coinsurance, the first three pints of blood, and 80% of foreign travel emergency care up to plan limits. Neither one pays your annual Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026.

What extra costs does Plan N leave you to pay?

Plan N asks you to pay a copay of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for an emergency room visit that does not lead to an inpatient admission. It also does not cover Part B excess charges. Those three items are the entire difference in benefits between Plan N and Plan G.

The copays are per visit, not per year, and there is no annual cap on them. That matters. Someone who sees a primary care doctor twice a year will barely notice $20 copays. Someone managing several chronic conditions with a cardiologist, an endocrinologist, and a physical therapist may rack up a couple dozen visits a year, and those copays add up quietly.

The emergency room copay has a useful wrinkle: if the ER visit results in you being admitted to the hospital, the $50 copay is waived. So the copay applies to the visit where you are treated and sent home, not the one that turns into a hospital stay.

What is a Part B excess charge, and does it matter in Tucson?

A Part B excess charge is the extra amount a doctor may bill when they do not accept Medicare's approved payment as full payment. Federal law caps it at 15% above the Medicare-approved amount. Plan G pays that charge for you. Plan N does not, so the bill would come to you.

Here is the mechanic behind it. Doctors fall into three groups. Participating providers accept Medicare's approved amount as payment in full — the large majority of physicians. Non-participating providers may charge up to the limiting charge, which is 15% above the approved amount. A small number of doctors opt out of Medicare entirely, and in that case no Medigap plan helps, because Medicare pays nothing to begin with.

In practice, most physicians in Pima County accept Medicare assignment, so excess charges are uncommon here. But "uncommon" is not "impossible," and the exposure tends to show up where you would least like a surprise — with a specialist or a surgeon rather than your regular family doctor. Because Medigap plans have no networks, this is one of the few provider-level questions that actually affects your bill. If you are the kind of person who wants zero billing surprises, Plan G removes this variable entirely.

Whichever plan you choose, it is worth asking any new specialist a single question before your first appointment: "Do you accept Medicare assignment?" It takes ten seconds and settles the issue.

How do I run the break-even math on Plan G vs Plan N?

Take the monthly premium difference between the two plans and multiply it by 12. That is your annual premium savings with Plan N. Then estimate your yearly doctor visits and multiply by $20. If your expected copays are smaller than the premium savings, Plan N comes out ahead. If they are larger, Plan G wins.

An example with round numbers, using a hypothetical premium gap rather than any specific plan's rate. Suppose Plan N costs $30 a month less than Plan G. Over a year that is $360 saved on premium. Now count your visits. At 8 office visits a year, your copays run about $160 — Plan N leaves you roughly $200 ahead. At 20 visits a year, copays reach about $400, and Plan G is now the better deal.

Two adjustments to that simple calculation:

• Add a cushion for excess charges. Even at a modest probability, one out-of-assignment surgical bill can erase a year of premium savings.
• Think in decades, not years. Both plans' premiums rise with age and inflation. A percentage increase applied to a smaller Plan N premium produces a smaller dollar increase, which compounds in Plan N's favor over time.

One number people forget to include: the Part B deductible. It is the same $283 under both plans, so it cancels out of the comparison entirely. Do not let a sales pitch present it as a difference — it is not.

Which plan tends to fit which kind of Tucson Medicare beneficiary?

Plan G tends to suit people who want the most predictable bills, use specialists frequently, or dislike administrative surprises. Plan N tends to suit healthy people with few annual visits who are comfortable with small, predictable copays in exchange for a lower monthly premium. Neither is universally better.

Plan G is often the better fit if you see specialists regularly, you have a chronic condition that generates frequent appointments, you are on a fixed budget where a surprise bill is genuinely disruptive, or you simply value the simplicity of showing your card and owing almost nothing.

Plan N is often the better fit if you are newly 65 and in good health, you see a doctor only a handful of times a year, you want Medigap-level protection at a lower monthly cost, and a $20 copay at the front desk does not bother you.

Both plans give you the same freedom of access across Tucson. Because Medigap has no network, both work at TMC Health, Banner – University Medicine, Northwest Healthcare, and Carondelet, along with providers in Green Valley, Marana, Oro Valley, and Sahuarita. That is a meaningful contrast with network-based coverage, which we cover in detail in our guide to Tucson hospital systems and Medicare plans. If you are still deciding between the Medigap route and Medicare Advantage altogether, start with our comparison of Medicare Supplement vs. Medicare Advantage.

Can I switch between Plan G and Plan N later in Arizona?

Sometimes, but not freely. Arizona has no "birthday rule," so outside your one-time six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period or a guaranteed issue right, insurers may use medical underwriting. That means they can review your health history and decline you or charge more. Assume your first choice is a long-term one.

Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is the six months beginning the first month you are both 65 and enrolled in Part B. During that window, any company selling Medigap in Arizona must accept you regardless of your health, at the same price as a healthy applicant. It does not repeat.

Some states give residents an annual window to change Medigap plans without underwriting. Arizona is not one of them. Arizona law does provide certain protections — including a Medigap enrollment opportunity at 65 for people who qualified for Medicare through disability — and federal guaranteed issue rights still apply after specific events, such as losing employer coverage or a Medicare Advantage plan leaving your area.

The practical takeaway: choosing between G and N at 65 is a decision worth taking seriously, because health changes may close the door on switching later. Our Turning 65 in Tucson checklist walks through the timing, and you can read more about how these plans work on our Medicare Supplement page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Plan G or Plan N cover the Medicare Part B deductible?

Neither one does. Anyone who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 pays the Part B deductible out of pocket — $283 in 2026. Both plans begin paying their share only after that deductible is satisfied for the year. Plans C and F, which did cover it, are closed to people who turned 65 on or after that date.

Do Plan G and Plan N cover the same hospitals in Tucson?

Yes. Medigap plans have no networks. Both work at TMC Health, Banner – University Medicine, Northwest Healthcare, Carondelet, and any other provider that accepts Medicare. The differences between the two plans are about cost sharing, not about which doctors or hospitals you may use.

Is Plan N a good choice if I travel or spend summers out of state?

It can be. Both plans travel with you anywhere in the United States because there is no network, and both include foreign travel emergency coverage at 80% up to plan limits. The one caution is that Plan N leaves you exposed to Part B excess charges, which are more common in some states than in Arizona.