Do Medigap Plans Cover the Medicare Part B Deductible?

Takeaways

• Medigap insurance previously covered the Medicare Part B deductible, but this stopped in 2020 for new plans. Individuals with plans prior to 2020 retained this coverage.

• As of 2025, the current Medicare Part B deductible is $257 and the base Medicare Part B premium is $185 per month. (Medicare beneficiaries with higher incomes will pay higher Part B premiums.)

• The change to Medigap coverage of the Part B deductible was part of legislation to overhaul Medicare payments to doctors, aiming to reduce costs by potentially discouraging unnecessary medical visits.

Medicare beneficiaries often buy Medigap insurance, which pays for many of regular Medicare’s deductibles and copayments. Medigap plans stopped offering coverage of the Medicare Part B deductible at the start of 2020. (The current Part B deductible is $257 (as of 2025). Those people who had purchased policies with this deductible coverage before 2020 were able to keep them.

What Is Medicare?

Medicare is a federal health insurance program designed for seniors age 65 and up. Other populations may also qualify for Medicare, including younger individuals with qualifying disabilities and people with end-stage renal disease.

The program consists of four main parts, one of which is Medicare Part B; it covers doctor visits and other outpatient care. Other parts of Medicare pay for such costs as hospitalizations or prescription drugs. (Medicare Part A and Part B make up what is known as Original Medicare.)

Today, more than 67 million people across the United States are enrolled in Medicare. Many people mistakenly believe that the program is free.

However, a Medicare plan still requires that you pay annual deductibles, coinsurance amounts, and monthly premiums. (The base monthly premium for Medicare Part B is $185 as of 2025.) It also does not cover all of your health care costs – for example, dental or vision services. This is why some individuals also seek out a Medigap policy.

What Is Medigap?

To help cover some of your health care costs under Original Medicare, you have the option to purchase a Medigap plan, also known as Medicare Supplement Insurance, from a private health insurer. Most states have a number of Medigap plans to choose from.

The timing for buying a Medigap policy may vary depending on your circumstances and the state where you live. Visit Medicare.gov’s online Q&A to help you determine when it may be possible for you to buy a Medigap plan. Note that if you have a Medicare Advantage plan instead of Original Medicare, you are not eligible to purchase Medigap.

The End of Medigap’s Coverage of the Medicare Part B Deductible

The legislation that ended Medigap’s coverage of the Part B deductible was passed in an effort to help pay for so-called “doc fix” legislation that overhauled the way Medicare pays doctors, which was projected to cost more than $200 billion over 10 years. The reasoning behind making Medicare beneficiaries pay the deductible themselves is that it would cause them to think twice before going to a doctor and perhaps costing the Medicare system unnecessary money.

Some argued, however, that if the change prompted beneficiaries to forego needed medical care, they would simply require more expensive care later, costing Medicare more in the end. At the time, critics also said that the change would encourage more beneficiaries to abandon regular Medicare and join Medicare Advantage plans, which, at the time, still covered the deductible.

Questions? Work with an Elder Law Attorney

The Medicare program can be a source of confusion for many. Consider consulting with an elder law attorney near you to help you navigate the rules regarding eligibility, enrollment, and coverage. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE for assistance, or a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) in your area, which can offer unbiased guidance on Medicare.

For additional reading on Medicare, check out the following articles:

• Turning Age 65? What to Know About the 4 Parts of Medicare
• What Is IRMAA and How Does It Affect My Medicare Monthly Premiums?
• What Are Medicare Savings Programs?
• Medicare Advantage: An Alternative to Original Medicare