Plan B adds Part A deductible coverage on top of Plan A's baseline benefits. Modest upgrade, modest price increase.
Best for
- Budget shoppers who want some hospital-deductible protection
Watch out for
Still does not cover skilled nursing, Part B deductible, or foreign travel.
What Plan B covers
- Part A coinsurance & 365 extra hospital daysCovered in full
- Part B coinsurance or copaymentCovered in full
- Blood (first 3 pints)Covered in full
- Part A hospice coinsurance / copayCovered in full
- Skilled nursing facility coinsuranceNot covered
- Part A deductibleCovered in full
- Part B deductibleNot covered
- Part B excess chargesNot covered
- Foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits)Not covered
Compare to other Medigap plans
- Plan AThe minimum-coverage Medigap plan - basic benefits only.
- Plan CComprehensive coverage - closed to anyone newly eligible after Jan 1, 2020.
- Plan DPlan G minus Part B excess. Modest savings, modest reduction in benefit.
- Plan FThe 'everything' plan - closed to newly eligible after Jan 1, 2020.
- Plan GToday's most popular Medigap plan - comprehensive coverage minus only Part B deductible.
- Plan KLower premium, partial coverage with out-of-pocket cap.
- Plan LLike Plan K but covers more - 75% of most cost-sharing.
- Plan MSplits the Part A deductible 50/50 between you and the plan.
- Plan NLower premium than Plan G in exchange for office and ER copays.
What Does Medigap Plan B Add to Plan A?
Plan B is Plan A with one important upgrade. It pays the Part A hospital deductible in full, for every benefit period. That single benefit closes the largest gap Original Medicare leaves behind.
- Benefits on the standardized Medigap chart
- 9Benefits on the standardized Medigap chart
- Benefits Plan B covers in full
- 5Benefits Plan B covers in full
- Gaps Plan B still leaves to you
- 4Gaps Plan B still leaves to you
- Part A hospital coinsurance, plus 365 extra hospital days for life
- Part B coinsurance and copays on doctor visits and outpatient care
- The first three pints of blood in a calendar year
- Part A hospice coinsurance for drugs and respite care
- The Part A hospital deductible, paid in full each benefit period
Why the hospital deductible matters
A benefit period is not a calendar year. It closes 60 days after you leave the hospital. Two separate stays in one year can mean paying that deductible twice, and Plan B removes that risk.
What Does Plan B Still Leave Uncovered?
Four benefits stay off the list. Three are minor for most people. One catches families by surprise.
The four remaining gaps
Skilled nursing coinsurance
After a qualifying hospital stay, rehab is covered in full for the first 20 days. Daily charges start after that, and Plan B pays none of them.
The Part B deductible
You pay a set amount each year before Part B begins paying. The figure is set by Medicare and changes each year.
Part B excess charges
A few providers bill above the Medicare approved amount. California allows that, so the extra falls to you.
Foreign travel emergency care
Original Medicare rarely pays for care outside the country. Plan B adds no travel benefit at all.
The rehab gap is the one to weigh
A broken hip or a stroke often leads to weeks in a skilled nursing facility. Those daily charges can dwarf a hospital deductible. Letters such as Plan G, Plan D, and Plan N cover them.
Who Is Plan B a Genuine Fit For?
Who this is for
Plan B tends to fit you if:
- You want hospital protection but the Plan G premium is out of reach.
- You are in good health and rarely need outpatient rehab.
- You have family nearby who could help at home after a hospital stay.
- You already found a carrier that prices Plan B well below its Plan G.
- You value a predictable monthly premium over the widest coverage.
Plan B is a thinly sold letter. Fewer carriers promote it, so quotes vary more than they do for popular letters. That is not a reason to skip it. It is a reason to compare every company rather than the first one you find.
Check the spread before you decide
In some Orange County quotes, Plan B and Plan G sit close together. When the gap is small, the extra benefits usually win. When the gap is wide, Plan B earns its place.
Plan B or Plan G: Which Is the Better Buy?
This is the comparison that decides most Plan B shopping. Plan G adds three benefits and asks you to keep paying the Part B deductible yourself.
Plan B vs Plan G
Medigap Plan B
Core benefits plus the hospital deductible. Lower premium, four open gaps.
- Part A coinsurance and 365 extra days
- Covered in full
- Part B coinsurance and copays
- Covered in full
- Part A hospital deductible
- Covered in full
- Skilled nursing coinsurance
- Not covered
- Part B deductible
- You pay it
- Part B excess charges
- Not covered
- Foreign travel emergency
- Not covered
- Typical premium
- A modest step above Plan A
- How common
- Sold by fewer carriers
Medigap Plan G
The most complete letter still open to new enrollees.
- Part A coinsurance and 365 extra days
- Covered in full
- Part B coinsurance and copays
- Covered in full
- Part A hospital deductible
- Covered in full
- Skilled nursing coinsurance
- Covered in full
- Part B deductible
- You pay it
- Part B excess charges
- Covered in full
- Foreign travel emergency
- Covered up to plan limits
- Typical premium
- Higher than Plan B
- How common
- The most popular Medigap plan today
Plan G's larger pool of members also tends to steady its rate increases. That is worth weighing next to the monthly premium, since a supplement is a long term purchase.
How Do California's Birthday Rule and Trial Rights Protect You?
California is one of a small group of states with a yearly Medigap switching window. It is a real advantage, and Plan B holders should know exactly how it works.
The birthday rule, step by step
- 01
The window opens 30 days before your birthday
It runs 60 days in total and closes 30 days after your birthday. The dates are firm.
- 02
You must already own a supplement
The rule moves you between Medigap policies. It does not open a door out of a Medicare Advantage plan.
- 03
Equal or lesser benefits only
You can keep Plan B with a different carrier, or step down to a lighter letter. Moving up to Plan G is not covered by this rule.
- 04
Your health is not part of the decision
No health questions, no medical records, no decline. The new carrier issues at its standard rate for your age.
Trial rights work differently
If you joined a Medicare Advantage plan when you first turned 65, you have twelve months to leave it. During that year you can buy any supplement sold in California.
If you dropped a supplement to try Advantage for the first time, the same twelve month clock applies. Plan B sits on the guaranteed issue list you can fall back to.
What Should You Expect From Medical Underwriting?
Outside those windows, a carrier can review your health before it says yes. Applications are short but pointed, and answers get verified.
- Treatment, testing, and surgery in the recent past, usually the last two to five years
- A prescription history check that shows what you take and when it started
- Any condition still being tested, staged, or scheduled for a procedure
- Use of oxygen, dialysis, a walker, or in home care
- Height and weight compared against the carrier's build chart
Keep your current policy until the new one is approved
Never cancel coverage on the strength of an application. We wait for a written approval and an effective date before anything is ended. If a carrier says no, you still have Plan B.
How Do You Shop Plan B in Orange County?
Standardized benefits turn this into a pricing exercise. We are an independent agency, so we quote every carrier licensed in your county and show you the whole board.
What a Plan B review covers
- 01
Confirm which window you are in
Open enrollment, birthday rule, trial right, or full underwriting. This decides everything that follows.
- 02
Quote Plan B against Plan A and Plan G
Seeing three real numbers side by side settles the question faster than any chart can.
- 03
Review rate history, not just today's rate
Most California supplements price by attained age, so the premium rises as you age. History shows how fast.
- 04
Add drug coverage and check the total
A supplement never includes drugs. We price a Part D plan with it so you see one monthly figure.
Meet us in person at 2135 N Pami Circle in Orange, or by video or phone. We speak English and Spanish, with Korean, Mandarin, and Vietnamese available. Call (714) 922-0043 or request a review at no cost to you.