Medicare Supplement Plan F in California
Medicare Supplement Plan F in California
This page is for people who already have a Medicare Supplement Plan F in California, and for the smaller group who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020 and can still buy one. If you became eligible on or after that date, you cannot buy Plan F at all; Plan G is the closest plan, and it is the one almost every new buyer should look at.
Plan F is the most complete Medigap letter ever sold: it covers every standard cost Original Medicare leaves behind, including the Part B deductible, which no plan sold to newer beneficiaries may cover. That completeness is why so many Californians kept it. It is also why its premiums behave differently, and why a Plan F holder in California should recheck the math every year around their birthday.
What you pay with Plan F
| Part A (hospital) deductible | You pay $0. Plan F pays it. |
|---|---|
| Part B deductible | You pay $0. Plan F is the only letter that pays it, and only for people eligible before January 1, 2020. |
| Part B coinsurance (the 20 percent) | You pay $0. |
| Part B excess charges | You pay $0. Plan F pays them. |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance | You pay $0. |
| Monthly premium | Paid to the insurance company. Plan F premiums vary by carrier, age, and ZIP code, and they have been rising faster than Plan G premiums in California. See the options section below before assuming yours is still the right price. |
Plan F does not include drug coverage, so most people pair it with a standalone Part D plan. See the 2027 California Part D plans, all 10 with premiums and deductibles.
What Plan F covers
These are the standardized benefits from the federal Medigap chart, for this letter only. They are the same at every insurance company.
- Part A coinsurance and hospital costs (up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are used): 100%
- Part B coinsurance or copayment: 100%
- Blood (first 3 pints): 100%
- Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment: 100%
- Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance: 100%
- Part A deductible: 100%
- Part B deductible: 100%
- Part B excess charges: 100%
- Foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits): 80%
- Out-of-pocket limit: N/A
What Plan F costs in California
Coverage is identical statewide; the price is not. Premiums are set by each carrier for each ZIP code and age. The range below is the general statewide picture from the state rate guide, across the California ZIPs we checked. For your exact price, ask us for a quote; we would rather quote you than publish a range we have not verified.
We do not publish a premium range for Plan F here, because we do not have a verified statewide range for this plan from the California Department of Insurance rate guide. Premiums depend on your age, ZIP code, and tobacco use. Ask us for an exact quote for your situation; it costs nothing and there is no obligation.
Who Plan F fits
A good fit if
- You already have Plan F and your premium is still within a reasonable distance of Plan G for the same age and ZIP. Run the test on the plan f vs plan g california page before deciding.
- You became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, never bought a supplement, and want the most complete coverage available to you.
Think twice if
- You became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. Plan F is closed to you; start with Plan G.
- Your Plan F premium has pulled far ahead of Plan G. You may be paying several times the Part B deductible each year to insure that one deductible.
Your options as a Plan F holder
You have four real options, and your birthday matters for three of them. Under the California Birthday Rule, for 60 days starting on your birthday each year you can switch to a Medigap plan with equal or lesser benefits, from any carrier, with no health questions.
- Stay on Plan F. Right, if your premium is still close to Plan G for your age and ZIP.
- Switch from Plan F to Plan F with another carrier, at a lower premium for identical coverage, inside your Birthday Rule window.
- Switch from Plan F down to Plan G, Plan N, or High Deductible Plan G, inside your Birthday Rule window. F to G is the most common move; the switch page linked below walks through the math.
- Switch outside the window. Possible, but a new carrier can ask health questions and may decline or charge more, except in a guaranteed issue situation.
Carriers that sell Plan F in California
These are some of the carriers that sell Medicare Supplement plans in California. Because the benefits for this letter are standardized, the same Plan F policy covers the same things at every carrier on this list; carriers differ on premium, household discounts, rate increase history, and service.
| Carrier |
|---|
| Aetna |
| Anthem Blue Cross |
| Blue Shield of California |
| HealthSpring (Cigna) |
| Humana |
| Mutual of Omaha |
| UnitedHealthcare (AARP) |
Compare the other plans
The switch math, the Birthday Rule steps, and the one-way warning.
Plan GIdentical coverage except the Part B deductible, in an open and growing pool.
California Medigap Birthday RuleYour annual 60 day window to switch with no health questions.
Back to the full comparison: Medicare Supplement plans in California.
Questions about Plan F in California
Is Medicare Supplement Plan F still available in California?
Only to people who became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. If that is you, carriers still sell Plan F in California and you can buy or switch into it during your open enrollment, a guaranteed issue window, or your California Birthday Rule window (switching F to F with another carrier is an equal-benefits move). If you became eligible on or after January 1, 2020, no carrier may sell you Plan F, and Plan G is the closest equivalent.
Why does my Plan F premium keep going up faster than my neighbor's Plan G?
Plan F is a closed pool: no new members have joined since the end of 2019, so the average age and cost of the group rise every year. Plan G keeps enrolling new 65 year olds. Both plans also get attained-age increases as you get older and general carrier rate increases, but the closed pool adds a third pressure that only Plan F has.
What does Plan F cover that Plan G does not?
One thing only: the annual Part B deductible, $283 in 2026. Every other standardized benefit is identical, including the Part A deductible, coinsurance, skilled nursing, excess charges, and foreign travel emergency coverage. That is why the F to G decision is a price comparison, not a coverage comparison.
Can I switch from Plan F to Plan G without health questions?
Yes, in California, if you use the Birthday Rule: for 60 days starting on your birthday each year, you can switch to a plan with equal or lesser benefits with no medical underwriting, and Plan G counts as lesser only because it does not pay the Part B deductible. The switch page for plan f vs plan g california walks through the steps and the one warning that matters: the move is one way, because switching back up to Plan F is not protected by the Birthday Rule.
Check Plan F prices for your ZIP
Call or text, Mon to Thu 9 AM to 8 PM, Fri 9 AM to 3 PM, Sat 9 AM to 2 PM PT
Talk through Plan F with Eric. We will price it for your exact age and ZIP, check your doctors the Medigap way (any provider who accepts Medicare), and compare it honestly against the other letters, at no cost to you.
Written by Eric Ullrich, licensed Medicare insurance agent, CA license #4551902, NPN 22200900. Last reviewed October 27, 2026. Medigap benefits on this page follow the federally standardized plan chart published by Medicare.gov. Sources: Medicare.gov, Compare Medigap plan benefits, California Department of Insurance, Medicare Supplement Rate Guide. Verify plan details with the carrier or at Medicare.gov before enrolling.