Dennis Jarvis, serving California since 1999. No cost, no pressure.
Plan F vs Plan G: Are You Overpaying? (2026)
- Plan F and Plan G are nearly identical, the ONLY difference is Plan F also covers the small annual Part B deductible.
- Yet many Plan F holders pay $1,000+ more per year than they would on Plan G, far more than that deductible is worth.
- Plan F closed to new enrollees in 2020, so its pool is shrinking and aging, driving rates up faster (a 'death spiral').
- You keep all the same benefits, doctors, and freedom when you switch to Plan G, nothing about how Medigap works changes.
- California's Birthday Rule lets you switch F→G without medical underwriting. Most people just don't know they can.
If you're on Medigap Plan F, this page might save you a thousand dollars a year or more. This is something the carriers and their agents rarely bring up, because it's not in their interest. But it's very much in yours. So let's talk honestly about Plan F versus Plan G.
First: Plan F and Plan G Are Almost Identical
Here's what surprises most people. Plan F and Plan G cover the exact same things, with one tiny exception: Plan F also covers the annual Part B deductible (a few hundred dollars), while with Plan G you pay that deductible yourself once a year.
That's it. That's the only difference. Same doctors, same nationwide freedom, same coverage of the uncapped 20%, same everything else. So the real question is simple: how much extra are you paying on Plan F for that one small deductible?
💰 The overpayment problem
For many California Plan F holders, the answer is shocking: they're paying $1,000 or more per year extra compared to Plan G, to cover a Part B deductible that's only a few hundred dollars. That math makes no sense. You could pay the deductible yourself several times over and still come out way ahead on Plan G.
Why does this happen? Because people assume they're "locked in," or that switching means losing their benefits or their doctors. None of that is true. And nobody, not the carrier, not the agent who sold it, has any incentive to tell them otherwise.
Why Plan F Rates Are Rising Faster (The Death Spiral)
It gets worse for Plan F holders. In 2020, Plan F closed to anyone newly eligible for Medicare. That means no new, younger, healthier people are entering the Plan F pool, only the existing members, getting older, using more care, every year.
You can see it in the data: first-dollar plans like F have collapsed from 60% of the market to under 8%, while Plan G has surged. A shrinking, aging pool means claims per member rise, and so do rates. Insurers call the newer plans "closed blocks." We call it what it is: a slow-motion rate spiral that Plan F holders get caught in.
Plan F is among the fastest-rising plans, and it will likely keep climbing as its pool ages. Plan G, with new members constantly joining, stays more stable.
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"But Can I Even Switch?", Yes, in California
The Birthday Rule makes it possible
Here's the part that unlocks everything: California's Birthday Rule lets you switch from Plan F to Plan G (an equal or lesser plan) each year, without medical underwriting. You cannot be turned down or charged more for your health. In most states, switching off Plan F would require passing underwriting, which traps people with health conditions. California protects you.
So if you've been on Plan F for years, assuming you're stuck, paying more and more each year, you're very likely not stuck at all. You can move to Plan G, keep every doctor and every benefit, and potentially save over $1,000 a year. This is genuinely a personal mission of ours, because so many people are quietly overpaying and no one tells them.
Let Us Check for You, Free
If you're on Plan F, let us run a simple comparison: your current Plan F premium versus what Plan G would cost you. If switching saves you money (it usually does), we'll handle the switch using the Birthday Rule, and you keep everything you have now. If it somehow doesn't make sense for you, we'll tell you that honestly. There's no cost, and no pressure. It's just the right thing to do.