The medigap plan f myth refuses to die. Walk into any Medicare seminar in 2026 and someone will still ask how to sign up for Plan F. They heard it was the “Cadillac” plan. They heard it covered everything. Both of those things were largely true — and both are beside the point for anyone turning 65 today.
Federal law closed Plan F to new Medicare beneficiaries on January 1, 2020. The plan still exists. Millions of people still hold it. But if you became eligible for Medicare on or after that date, no insurance company in the country can sell it to you. The medigap plan f myth costs people time, and sometimes money, because they keep chasing a door that is already locked.
What the law actually says
The change came from the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, usually called MACRA. Congress buried the provision inside a much larger physician-payment bill. The rule is narrow and precise. Starting January 1, 2020, a Medigap policy that pays the Medicare Part B deductible may not be sold or issued to a “newly eligible” beneficiary.
Plan F pays that deductible. So does Plan C, and so does High-Deductible Plan F. All three closed at the same time. Plan G, Plan N, and High-Deductible Plan G survived because none of them touch the Part B deductible. That single technical detail explains the entire shift.
“Newly eligible” has a specific definition. It means anyone who turned 65 on or after January 1, 2020, or who first qualified for Medicare on or after that date through disability or end-stage renal disease. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners issued producer bulletins instructing agents to enforce this. Agents who sell a closed plan to an ineligible applicant face state disciplinary action.
Who can still buy Plan F — and why the medigap plan f myth persists
Roughly 4.9 million people held Plan F as of 2023, about 36% of all Medigap policyholders. Plan G had passed it by then at 39%, or about 5.3 million people. Those Plan F holders are real, visible, and often vocal. Your neighbor has it. Your older sibling has it. That is where the medigap plan f myth gets its oxygen.
There is one genuine exception. If you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020 — even if you never enrolled, and even if you never bought a Medigap policy — you remain in the eligible pool permanently. Someone who turned 65 in December 2019 and delayed Part B while working can still apply for Plan F today. Whether an insurer accepts them is a separate question entirely.
Existing policyholders keep their coverage indefinitely. Insurers cannot cancel a Plan F policy because of MACRA. However, they also cannot add new members to it.
| Plan | Open to new enrollees in 2026? | Pays Part B deductible? |
|---|---|---|
| Plan F | No — closed to newly eligible | Yes |
| High-Deductible Plan F | No — closed | Yes (after deductible) |
| Plan C | No — closed | Yes |
| Plan G | Yes | No |
| High-Deductible Plan G | Yes | No |
| Plan N | Yes | No |
The closed-block problem nobody mentions
Here is the part of the medigap plan f myth that hurts current policyholders. A closed block of business cannot take in new members. Nobody young and healthy joins the risk pool. Every year, the average Plan F enrollee gets one year older and files more claims.
Insurers respond with rate increases. Medigap premiums across all plan types rose about 10% on average heading into 2026. Plan F rose roughly 14% — noticeably faster. That gap is not random. It is the arithmetic of a shrinking, aging pool, and it compounds year after year.
Plan G covers everything Plan F covers with exactly one exception: the annual Part B deductible. That deductible is a small, fixed, predictable amount. In most cases, the annual premium difference between Plan F and Plan G exceeds the deductible itself. Long-time Plan F holders are frequently paying more for less value than a Plan G enrollee in the same ZIP code, with the same carrier.
Carriers including AARP/UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Aetna, Cigna, Mutual of Omaha, and Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliates all administer closed Plan F blocks alongside active Plan G blocks. The rate filings are public. Your state insurance department posts them.
What to do instead — concrete steps
If you are newly eligible, stop shopping for Plan F. Compare Plan G, High-Deductible Plan G, and Plan N. Use the plan finder at Medicare.gov, which lists every Medigap policy sold in your ZIP code with premium ranges by carrier.
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Timing matters more than plan choice. Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period runs six months, beginning the month you turn 65 and are enrolled in Part B. During that window, carriers must sell you any plan they offer at their standard rate. They cannot ask health questions. They cannot decline you. That window never reopens, and there is no annual do-over for Medigap the way there is for Medicare Advantage.
Miss it, and most states allow full medical underwriting. Applications get declined for common conditions. Some states are friendlier. Connecticut, New York, and Vermont mandate year-round continuous open enrollment. California, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Maryland run “birthday rule” windows that let you switch to an equal or lesser plan without underwriting. Sixteen states offered some version of this protection in 2026. Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin use entirely different standardized plan sets and do not use the letter system at all.
Call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program before you buy anything. SHIP counselors are federally funded, free, and sell nothing. They will confirm your eligibility date and tell you exactly which protections your state grants. That single call dismantles the medigap plan f myth faster than any sales conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Plan F being discontinued or cancelled?
No. That is a separate strand of the medigap plan f myth. Existing policies continue indefinitely, and insurers must keep paying claims. The plan is simply closed to people who became Medicare-eligible on or after January 1, 2026’s rule start date of January 1, 2020.
I turned 65 in 2018 but delayed Part B while working. Can I buy Plan F now?
Legally, yes — you were eligible before the cutoff, so you stay in the eligible pool. Practically, it depends. If your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period has closed, the carrier will likely underwrite your application and can decline it.
Should I switch from Plan F to Plan G?
Run the numbers first. Compare your Plan F premium against Plan G quotes from several carriers, then subtract the Part B deductible you would newly owe. Many people come out ahead, but switching typically requires passing medical underwriting unless your state has a birthday rule or continuous enrollment.
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Official Sources & Resources
For verified information on Medicare regulations and consumer protection:
- Medicare.gov (Official Site): medicare.gov
- CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services): cms.gov
- NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners): naic.org
- KFF Medicare Research: kff.org/medicare
- Social Security Administration: ssa.gov
Content last reviewed August 2026. If you notice any outdated information, please contact us.