What Is the Average Cost of Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F?

Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) Plan F offers the most benefits of any of the 10 standardized Medigap plans available in most states.

Some Medicare beneficiaries might assume that Plan F (sometimes mistakenly called Medicare Part F) is also the most expensive, but an examination of the average cost of Medigap plans reveals otherwise.

How Much Does Plan F Medicare Supplement Cost?

The average premium for Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F in 2023 was roughly $186.49 per month, or $2,237.88 per year.¹ 41% of Medicare Supplement beneficiaries have Plan F.²

Here is how the average estimated premiums of Plan F compared with that of other Medicare Supplement Insurance plans in 2023.

The Average Cost of Medigap Plan F by age

Based on our analysis, Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F premiums in 2023 were lowest were lowest for beneficiaries at age 66 ($153.29 per month) and highest for beneficiaries at age 97 ($480.33 per month).

Below is a chart that shows the average cost of Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F by age.

It's important to note that each type of Medigap plan offers a different combination of standardized benefits. Plans with fewer benefits may offer lower premiums.

As you compare Medicare Supplement quotes, keep in mind that other factors such as age, gender, smoking status, health and where you live can also affect Medigap plan rates.

Medicare Supplement Insurance plan premiums could be more expensive for older beneficiaries for a few reasons, such as:

• If you wait until after your Medigap Open Enrollment Period to sign up for a Medigap plan, insurance companies can charge you a higher premium based on your health.
  
  Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period (OEP) is a 6-month period that starts as soon as you are at least 65 years old and enrolled in Medicare Part B.
  
  During your Medigap OEP, Medicare Supplement Insurance companies cannot use medical underwriting to determine your Medigap plan costs.
  
  
• There are three different age-related pricing models that Medicare Supplement Insurance companies use to determine their Medigap plan rates. Each type of cost model can affect the average price of a given plan.
  
  
  • Community-rated
    With community-rated Medigap plans, every member of the plan pays the same rate, regardless of age.
    
    For example, an 82-year-old who enrolls in a community-rated Plan G will pay the same Medigap premiums as a 68-year-old beneficiary who has the same Plan G in the same market.
    
    
  • Issue-age-rated
    With issue-age-rated Medigap plans, premiums are based on your age at the time you enrolled in the plan.
    
    You will typically pay less for an issue-age-rated plan if you enroll in the plan when you're younger. Your premiums also won't increase based on your age.
    
    
  • Attained-age-rate
    Attained-age-rated Medigap plans set their premiums based on your current age. As you age, your Medigap plan premiums will gradually increase each year.

Medigap premiums can increase over time due to inflation and other factors, regardless of the pricing model your insurance company uses.

The Average Cost of Medigap Plan F by State

Location is another factor that can affect the cost of a Medigap plan, as market competition and the local cost-of-living can affect Medigap premiums.

The chart below shows the average cost of Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F by state in 2023.

Are all Medicare Supplement Plan F plans the same?

Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F is standardized by the federal government. This means that the 9 basic benefits of Plan F will be the same, no matter where you live or what Medicare Supplement Insurance company you buy it from.

Medicare Supplement Insurance is the only plan to provide coverage for each of the following 9 benefit areas.

1. Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs (100% coverage)
2. Medicare Part B coinsurance and copayments (100% coverage)
3. Medicare Part A deductible (100% coverage)
4. Medicare Part A deductible (100% coverage)
5. Medicare Part B excess charges (100% coverage)
6. Medicare Part A hospice care coinsurance and copayments (100% coverage)
7. Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance (100% coverage)
8. First three pints of blood used for a transfusion (100% coverage)
9. Foreign travel emergency care (100% coverage)

Standard-deductible Plan F vs. high-deductible Plan F

Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F also offers a high-deductible option (and is the only Medigap plan to do so).

The high deductible Plan F comes with an annual deductible of $2,700 in 2023. This means you must spend $2,700 out of pocket on covered services before the plan coverage kicks in.

In exchange for the higher deductible, the average premium for high-deductible Plan F was just $69.13 per month in 2023 ($830 per year), as noted in the first chart of this guide.

Find Medigap Plan F in your area

The average cost of Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan F can differ based on plan selection, insurance carrier, location, pricing model and more.

Starting on January 1, 2020, Plan F will no longer be available to new Medicare beneficiaries. However, if you already have Medicare, you can still enroll in Plan F if it's available in your area.

A licensed insurance agent can help you compare Medigap plan options available where you live so that you can find a plan that works for your health coverage and budget needs.