The 2026 and 2027 numbers
These come from CMS and Medicare.gov. The Part A and Part B amounts for 2027 come out in November; until then the 2027 column repeats 2026's and marks them.
| Cost | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Part B premium, per month (everyone pays it, either way) | $202.90 | Due in November |
| Part B deductible | $283 | Due in November |
| Part A hospital deductible, per benefit period | $1,736 | Due in November |
| Advantage yearly limit, in network (maximum) | $9,250 | $9,850 |
| Advantage yearly limit, in and out of network combined, for PPOs (maximum) | $13,900 | $14,800 |
| Part D drug deductible (maximum) | $615 | $700 |
| Part D yearly cap on drug costs | $2,100 | $2,400 |
| High-deductible Plan G or F deductible | $2,950 | $3,050 |
| Plan K yearly limit | $8,000 | $8,360 |
| Plan L yearly limit | $4,000 | $4,180 |
Original Medicare by itself has no yearly limit on what you pay. Medigap or an Advantage plan is what puts a ceiling on it.
Which Medigap plan pays what
In most states, every Medigap plan with the same letter covers the same things, whichever company sells it, so only the price differs. Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin standardize their plans differently. All of them pay Part A hospital coinsurance and up to 365 extra hospital days.
| Plan | Part A deductible | Part B deductible | Part B coinsurance | Excess charges | Foreign travel emergency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| B | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| C (before 2020 only) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 80% |
| D | Yes | No | Yes | No | 80% |
| F (before 2020 only) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 80% |
| G | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 80% |
| K | 50% | No | 50% | No | No |
| L | 75% | No | 75% | No | No |
| M | 50% | No | Yes | No | 80% |
| N | Yes | No | Yes, minus copays | No | 80% |
- Plan N leaves you a copay of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for an emergency room visit that doesn't end in a hospital admission.
- Plans K and L pay 100% for the rest of the year once you reach their yearly limit and the Part B deductible: $8,360 and $4,180 in 2027.
- High-deductible Plan G, sold in some states, pays nothing until your Medicare costs reach $3,050 in 2027, then works like Plan G.
- Plans C and F are sold only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Everyone newer can buy G or D instead.
- Excess charges are what a doctor who doesn't take Medicare's approved amount may add on top, in many cases up to 15% more. Only F and G pay them.
The rule that matters more than price: when you can buy Medigap
You get one six-month Medigap open enrollment period. It starts the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older. During those six months, an insurer must sell you any Medigap policy it offers and can't turn you down or charge you more because of your health.
After those six months, a Medigap insurer is allowed to deny you a policy because of your health, unless you have a guaranteed issue right.
That makes the choice harder to undo in one direction. Leaving Medigap for an Advantage plan is easy at open enrollment. Going back may not be. Federal law gives you two trial rights:
- Joined Advantage at 65. If you joined an Advantage plan when you were first eligible for Part A at 65 and switch to Original Medicare within the first year, you can buy any Medigap policy sold in your state.
- Dropped Medigap for Advantage. If you dropped a Medigap policy to join an Advantage plan for the first time, you have 12 months to get that same policy back, if the same company still sells it.
Your state may give you more rights than these. Check with your state's insurance department or SHIP counselor before you drop a Medigap policy. You can't keep both: Medigap can't be used to pay an Advantage plan's copays or premiums.
Questions people ask
Is Medicare Advantage or Medigap cheaper?
It depends on how much care you use. An Advantage plan's premium may be lower, but you pay copays as you go, up to the plan's yearly limit: as much as $9,250 in network in 2026 and $9,850 in 2027. Medigap costs more each month; with Plan G you pay only the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026) on top. The calculator adds up both for your own quotes.
Can I switch from Medicare Advantage to Medigap later?
You can return to Original Medicare, but outside your six-month Medigap open enrollment period, a Medigap insurer is allowed to turn you down or charge more because of your health, unless you have a guaranteed issue right. One is the trial right: if you joined Advantage at 65 and leave within the first year, you can buy any Medigap policy sold in your state. Your state may give more rights.
What is the Medicare Advantage out-of-pocket maximum for 2027?
For in-network care, no more than $9,850 in 2027, up from $9,250 in 2026. PPO plans that also cover out-of-network care can go up to $14,800 combined ($13,900 in 2026). Many plans set a lower limit. Drug costs are separate and capped at $2,400 in 2027.
What this calculator leaves out
- Which doctors and hospitals you can use. Original Medicare with Medigap works with any doctor or hospital in the US that takes Medicare, except under Medicare SELECT policies, which have networks. An Advantage plan has a network. Check that yours is in it.
- Drug costs beyond premiums. The Part D cap of $2,400 in 2027 applies whether your drug coverage comes with an Advantage plan or a separate Part D plan.
- Extra benefits. Many Advantage plans include some dental, vision or hearing coverage. Price those separately if you would buy them on the Medigap side.
- Out-of-network care on an Advantage plan, and Part B excess charges on Plan N.
- IRMAA. Higher incomes pay more for Part B and Part D on both paths, so it doesn't change which one costs less. The IRMAA calculator works out yours.
More free tools for retirement decisions are on the calculators page.
Before you act on it
This page is arithmetic on published figures and your own quotes. It is not insurance or financial advice, and I'm not licensed to give either. I don't sell insurance and don't pass your details to anyone who does. For free, unbiased help, your state's SHIP program counsels people one to one, and Medicare answers at 1-800-633-4227. Medicare.gov's plan finder shows the plans and prices in your ZIP code.
Sources
- CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A and B premiums and deductibles (November 14, 2025): Part B premium and deductible, Part A deductible.
- CMS, Advantage maximum out-of-pocket limit calculations for 2026 and 2027: the mandatory in-network and combined limits.
- CMS, CY 2027 Rate Announcement (April 6, 2026), Table V-2: Part D deductible and out-of-pocket threshold for 2026 and 2027.
- CMS, Medigap high-deductible amounts for 2026 and 2027, and Plan K and L limits for 2026 and 2027.
- Medicare.gov, Compare Medigap plan benefits: what each plan letter covers and Plan N's copays.
- Medicare.gov, Ready to buy Medigap and How Medigap works: open enrollment, medical underwriting, trial rights, and Medigap with Advantage.
- CMS, Choosing a Medigap Policy (March 2026): guaranteed issue rights and Plans C and F.
- Medicare.gov, Compare Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage and Lower costs with assignment: yearly limits and excess charges.