2026 Medicare Plan F Prices: Still Available to Some, But Costs Are Climbing

For years, Medicare Supplement Plan F was the gold standard of Medigap coverage. It covered every gap in Original Medicare, including the Part B deductible, leaving enrollees with zero out-of-pocket costs for Medicare-covered services. But since January 1, 2020, Plan F has been closed to anyone newly eligible for Medicare. If you turned 65 or first became eligible for Medicare on or after that date, you cannot buy Plan F.

For those who were eligible before 2020, Plan F is still available for purchase. Millions of seniors remain enrolled. But there's a catch that's becoming harder to ignore: Plan F premiums are rising faster than other Medigap plans, and the trend is likely to continue. The table below displays the lowest and highest monthly premiums for Plan F across nine major metropolitan areas as of January 15, 2026. It is always best to talk to a local Medicare licensed insurance agent near you when selecting your health insurance plan as a senior.

Geographic Variations in Plan F Prices

The following table provides a snapshot of the monthly premiums for Plan F, showcasing both the lowest and highest rates across various cities:

Premiums shown are representative monthly Plan F rates for a 65-year-old non-smoker as of January 15, 2026. Actual quotes vary by zip code, tobacco status, gender, and household discount eligibility.

Key Takeaways

• Consistently More Expensive Than Plan G: In every city, Plan F premiums run higher than Plan G for the same area. In Phoenix, the highest Plan F premium hits $769.19/month compared to $525.58 for Plan G. That's nearly $250/month extra for just $257/year of additional coverage.
• Extreme Geographic Disparity: New York tops the chart with Plan F premiums ranging from $417 to $839.55 per month. Meanwhile, Dallas offers Plan F starting at $136.08/month for females.
• The Spread Is Wider: Plan F tends to have a wider gap between lowest and highest premiums than Plan G or Plan N, reflecting the less competitive market as some carriers drop Plan F from their lineup.

Who Can Still Buy Medicare Plan F?

You can purchase Plan F if you became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. In most cases, that means you turned 65 before that date or qualified for Medicare through disability before that date. If you already have Plan F, you can keep it. And if you were eligible before 2020 but never enrolled in Plan F, you can still sign up now, subject to medical underwriting if you're outside your Medigap open enrollment period.

The key date is when you first became eligible, not when you enrolled. Someone who turned 65 in December 2019 but didn't sign up for Medicare until 2021 can still buy Plan F.

What Does Plan F Cover?

Plan F provides the most comprehensive Medigap coverage available. It covers:

• Part A hospital coinsurance and costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are exhausted
• Part B coinsurance or copayment for all services (no copays, unlike Plan N)
• Blood (first 3 pints)
• Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
• Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance
• Part A deductible
• Part B deductible ($257 in 2026)
• Part B excess charges
• Foreign travel emergency (80%, up to plan limits)

The only difference between Plan F and Plan G is that Plan F covers the Part B deductible. That's it. Every other benefit is identical. In 2026, the Part B deductible is $257 per year.

Why Plan F Premiums Keep Going Up

Here's the problem with Plan F that most people don't think about until it hits their wallet: the risk pool is getting older and sicker every year, and no new younger enrollees are coming in to balance it out.

Before 2020, Plan F attracted a steady stream of 65-year-olds who wanted the most coverage possible. Those younger, generally healthier enrollees helped keep premiums in check for everyone. Now that the door is closed, the average age of Plan F enrollees ticks up every year. An older pool means more claims. More claims means higher premiums.

This isn't speculation. It's basic insurance math, and it's already showing up in rate filings across the country. Many Plan F policyholders have seen annual premium increases of 8-15%, well above the 3-5% annual increases typical of Plan G and Plan N.

Independent agents who watch carrier filings see this pattern repeat in market after market. "Since January 1, 2020, Plan G has been the primary guaranteed issue plan. This means individuals with chronic health conditions can enroll without medical underwriting. These high-cost claims have caused Plan G premiums to skyrocket," says Christopher Dewey, a licensed Medicare agent in South Carolina. His point is worth sitting with: even Plan G, the recommended replacement for Plan F, is now feeling rate pressure from a shifting risk pool, just not as severely as Plan F.

The pricing method your carrier uses affects how quickly this hits you. Attained-age rated policies get hit the hardest because premiums rise both from the shrinking pool and from your increasing age. Community-rated policies feel the pool effect but at least don't pile on age-based increases.

Plan F vs Plan G: The $257 Question

The math here is straightforward. Plan F costs more than Plan G per month. The only extra benefit you get is coverage of the $257 annual Part B deductible. If the monthly premium difference between Plan F and Plan G is more than about $22 per month ($257 divided by 12), you're paying more in extra premium than the deductible is worth.

In practice, the gap is almost always larger than $22 per month. Look at the table above and compare it to Plan G prices for the same cities. In Phoenix, the lowest Plan F premium is $174.43 vs. $154.98 for Plan G, a $19.45/month difference that's close to break-even. But the highest Plan F premium is $769.19 vs. $525.58 for Plan G, a staggering $243.61/month gap. Most Plan F enrollees are paying far more in extra premium than the $257 deductible is worth.

This is why most Medicare experts, agents, and financial advisors now recommend Plan G over Plan F for anyone who has the option. The coverage difference is minimal, but the premium difference is substantial and growing.

Agents who work the Medigap market every day reach the same conclusion. "The biggest savings is, in most instances, if you're on Plan F, hopefully you can move to Plan G because the only difference between F and G is the Part B deductible each year. If you're able to go from F to G, you're probably going to save a significant amount right there," says Steve Brauer, a licensed Medicare agent in Arizona. He adds an important catch most enrollees don't realize: "Some states allow that without going through underwriting. Here in Arizona, you have to go through underwriting, even if you want to downgrade your plan from F to G."

Can You Switch From Plan F Without Underwriting?

In most states, switching off Plan F requires passing medical underwriting, which can be a problem for the very enrollees most likely to need relief from rising premiums. But a handful of states have rules that let you switch supplement coverage without health questions during a specific window.

"Several states have the Medicare Birthday Rule, which means that during the month of your birthday, you can switch your Medicare Supplement coverage without medical underwriting," says Julie Kovacevich, a licensed Medicare agent in Nevada. "The following states participate: California, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Most states allow 60 days to make the change, while others only allow 30-45 days. Some states require that you stay with the same carrier, while other states allow you to change carriers."

If you're in one of those states and on Plan F, your birthday window is the cheapest, easiest opportunity to drop to Plan G or Plan N. Even if you're outside one of those states, ask your agent whether your current carrier offers an internal Plan F to Plan G switch with relaxed underwriting; some do.

Factors Influencing Medicare Supplement Plan F Pricing

Like all Medigap plans, Plan F premiums vary significantly by geography. Several factors drive these differences:

• Local healthcare costs: Areas where medical care is more expensive see higher premiums across all supplement plans, including Plan F.
• State regulations: Each state regulates Medigap differently. Some require community rating, some allow attained-age rating, and the rules affect both base prices and how fast they increase.
• Carrier competition: Markets with more insurers selling Plan F tend to have lower premiums. But as Plan F becomes less popular, some carriers are dropping it from their lineup entirely, reducing competition in some areas.
• Size of the local Plan F risk pool: Smaller pools are less stable, leading to more volatile pricing.

One thing Plan F enrollees often worry about is whether their carrier can simply drop them as costs climb. "Medigap policies are guaranteed renewable. This means that your plan has to renew your policy every year as long as you pay your premiums, even if you are filing a lot of costly claims," says Hannah Skinner, a licensed Medicare agent in South Carolina. "There have been Medigap carriers that became insolvent and pulled out of the market, however, you are protected. If that happened to you, you would have guaranteed issue rights to get another plan with no underwriting." That's an important safety net to know about, even if the day-to-day pain is the premium increase rather than the cancellation risk.

Should You Switch from Plan F to Plan G?

If you currently have Plan F and your premiums have been climbing, switching to Plan G is worth serious consideration:

1. Compare your current Plan F premium to Plan G quotes. Get Plan G quotes from multiple carriers in your zip code. If the monthly savings exceeds ~$22 (the monthly value of the Part B deductible), switching saves you money even after paying the deductible out of pocket.
2. Understand the underwriting. If you're outside your Medigap open enrollment period, you'll likely need to pass medical underwriting to switch to a new carrier's Plan G. Some carriers offer a guaranteed-issue switch from their own Plan F to their Plan G, so ask your current carrier first.
3. Consider your health trajectory. If you have significant health issues that might make underwriting difficult, staying on Plan F might be the safer play, even at a higher premium.
4. Factor in future premium trends. Plan F premiums are likely to keep outpacing Plan G increases due to the closed risk pool. A $50/month difference today could become $80-100/month in a few years.

Talk to a local Medicare licensed insurance agent who can run the numbers for your specific situation. They can compare your current Plan F cost against Plan G options in your area and help you understand the underwriting process.

The agent perspective on this is pretty consistent. "Depending on your health, you can shop for a new plan. Your health matters because you will have to pass the underwriting process. Different companies charge different prices, so if you can pass underwriting, you may be able to get the same plan at a lower cost," says Mark Bilgere, a licensed Medicare agent in Texas. "If you're able to pass, you can also change plan levels, for example Plan F to Plan G or Plan G to Plan N. You may change companies and plans, or just one of them." The takeaway: a single underwriting application can simultaneously shop carriers and benefit levels, so it's worth running even if you're not sure which lever will give you the biggest savings.

Final Thoughts

Plan F was once the obvious choice for anyone who wanted the most comprehensive Medigap coverage. For those who still have access to it, it remains a solid plan in terms of benefits. But the economics have shifted. The closed enrollment pool is driving premiums up faster than competing plans, and the only extra benefit over Plan G, coverage of a $257 annual deductible, rarely justifies the cost difference.

If you're eligible for Plan F and considering it for the first time, compare it carefully against Plan G. If you already have Plan F and your premiums are outpacing your budget, a switch to Plan G or even Plan N could save you significant money without meaningfully reducing your coverage.