Plan G vs Plan N in Pennsylvania: The State Law That Changes the Answer
By Anthony Orner, Independent Licensed Medicare Insurance Broker · Pennsylvania filed rates pulled September 11, 2026, CSG Actuarial · Philadelphia County (ZIP 19153)
The cheapest Plan N in Philadelphia County is $114.51, from Insurance Company of North America (Chubb). The cheapest Plan G is $168.59, from Nassau Life Insurance Company. That is $54.08 a month, $649 a year, for a 65-year-old woman who does not use tobacco, from CSG Actuarial filings pulled September 11, 2026.
In most states that saving is weighed against three things Plan N gives up: an office copay, an ER copay, and Part B excess charges. Pennsylvania law bars providers from billing excess charges, so for care inside the state the third item is gone. What is left is copays against $649, and $649 is about 32 office visits.
The carrier pays the broker; the filed rate is the same with or without us.
What Pennsylvania Takes Off the Table
Under federal rules a doctor who does not accept Medicare assignment may bill up to 15% above the approved amount, and that excess is the one Part B cost Plan N leaves with you. Pennsylvania is one of a small group of states, with Ohio, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Vermont, that forbid the practice for Medicare patients treated in the state. A Pennsylvanian on Plan N who winters in Florida or sees a specialist in Delaware can still meet the charge; one who stays home cannot.
| Cost | Plan G | Plan N | In Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part B deductible ($283) | You pay | You pay | Same either way |
| Office visit copay | None | Up to $20 | Only Plan N difference you will meet |
| ER copay if not admitted | None | Up to $50 | Second Plan N difference |
| Part B excess charges | Paid | You pay | Barred by state law for in-state care |
| Part A deductible ($1,736) | Paid | Paid | Same either way |
| Foreign travel emergency | 80% paid | 80% paid | Same either way |
Two Floors, Two Carriers
Nassau Life Insurance Company leads Plan G at $168.59 and files Plan N at $121.27, rank 3 of 27. Insurance Company of North America (Chubb) leads Plan N at $114.51 and files Plan G at $173.35, rank 2 of 27. Neither company is first on both, so the letter and the carrier get chosen together. The $54.08 floor-to-floor gap ranks 25 of 28 in our file, on the wide side, which is another way of saying Pennsylvania rewards Plan N more than most states even before its excess-charge law is counted.
| Carrier | Plan G | Plan N | Gap a month | Office visits the gap covers | Latest G filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nassau Life Insurance Company | $168.59 | $121.27 | $47.32 | 28 a year | +7.0% October 2025 |
| Insurance Company of North America (Chubb) | $173.35 | $114.51 | $58.84 | 35 a year | — |
| Humana Insurance Company | $177.02 | $118.74 | $58.28 | 34 a year | +19.5% November 2025 |
| State Farm | $177.14 | $134.47 | $42.67 | 25 a year | +14.3% February 2026 |
| HealthSpring Insurance (HCSC) | $186.91 | $123.88 | $63.03 | 37 a year | +19.0% February 2026 |
| Globe Life and Accident | $187.00 | $153.00 | $34.00 | 20 a year | +20.0% June 2026 |
| American Benefit Life | $188.41 | $142.09 | $46.32 | 27 a year | +19.9% October 2025 |
| WoodmenLife | $194.50 | $140.55 | $53.95 | 32 a year | +9.0% January 2026 |
| Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield | $199.10 | $149.30 | $49.80 | 29 a year | +17.7% July 2026 |
| Humana Insurance Company | $201.24 | $150.86 | $50.38 | 30 a year | +19.5% November 2025 |
| WPS Health Solutions | $202.34 | $184.60 | $17.74 | 10 a year | +12.0% January 2026 |
| Medico Life and Health | $202.64 | $148.76 | $53.88 | 32 a year | +0.8% September 2026 |
| Aflac (Tier One Insurance) | $205.35 | $133.36 | $71.99 | 43 a year | +16.0% May 2026 |
| LifeShield National | $207.13 | $152.23 | $54.90 | 32 a year | +20.0% September 2026 |
| Washington National | $209.90 | $127.42 | $82.48 | 49 a year | +24.9% August 2026 |
| AARP / UnitedHealthcare | $210.43 | $179.47 | $30.96 | 18 a year | +14.0% June 2026 |
| United American | $216.00 | $202.00 | $14.00 | 8 a year | +7.8% November 2025 |
| USAA Life | $222.53 | $181.05 | $41.48 | 24 a year | +15.0% June 2026 |
| Everence Association | $222.79 | $151.69 | $71.10 | 42 a year | +12.9% April 2026 |
| Erie Family Life | $225.80 | $166.32 | $59.48 | 35 a year | +13.0% May 2026 |
| Aetna Health Insurance | $229.41 | $152.94 | $76.47 | 45 a year | +16.0% June 2026 |
| AARP / UnitedHealthcare | $232.86 | $154.40 | $78.46 | 47 a year | +25.0% June 2026 |
| Heartland National Life | $245.81 | $188.01 | $57.80 | 34 a year | +19.5% October 2025 |
| United Of Omaha Life Ins Co | $248.26 | $160.61 | $87.65 | 52 a year | +19.0% May 2026 |
| Guarantee Trust Life | $293.19 | $228.18 | $65.01 | 39 a year | +5.0% March 2026 |
| GPM Health and Life | $295.51 | $162.43 | $133.08 | 79 a year | +19.0% January 2026 |
Sorted by Plan G, cheapest first. ZIP 19153, CSG Actuarial filings pulled September 11, 2026; each carrier's lowest filed rate class, woman aged 65, non-tobacco, no household discount. Humana Insurance Company and AARP / UnitedHealthcare appear twice because two separate companies file under the name. New Era Life files Plan N only. Physicians Mutual files Plan G only.
Amber gaps are under $20: at United American and WPS Health Solutions the two letters are one office copay apart and Plan G is the only sensible buy. At the other end, 7 carriers price the letters $70 or more apart, led by GPM Health and Life at $133.08; those are mostly companies whose Plan G sits high on the board. AARP / UnitedHealthcare are community-rated, one price at every age.
Philadelphia Is Not the Pennsylvania Floor
9 of the 16 key counties in the file, Lancaster County among them, quote a cheaper pair than Philadelphia County: $133.47 for Plan G and $91.07 for Plan N. The statewide floors are $133.47 for G in Adams County and $91.07 for N in Adams County. The gap between the letters is $42.40 at its narrowest (Lancaster County) and $54.08 at its widest (Chester County).
| County | Plan G floor | Plan N floor | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia County | $168.59 (Nassau Life Insurance Company) | $114.51 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $54.08 |
| Allegheny County | $145.41 (Humana Insurance Company) | $97.54 (Humana Insurance Company) | $47.87 |
| Montgomery County | $168.59 (Nassau Life Insurance Company) | $114.51 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $54.08 |
| Bucks County | $145.41 (Humana Insurance Company) | $97.54 (Humana Insurance Company) | $47.87 |
| Delaware County | $168.59 (Nassau Life Insurance Company) | $114.51 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $54.08 |
| Lancaster County | $133.47 (Nassau Life Insurance Company) | $91.07 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $42.40 |
| Chester County | $168.59 (Nassau Life Insurance Company) | $114.51 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $54.08 |
| York County | $133.47 (Nassau Life Insurance Company) | $91.07 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $42.40 |
| Berks County | $133.47 (Nassau Life Insurance Company) | $91.07 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $42.40 |
| Westmoreland County | $147.52 (Nassau Life Insurance Company) | $100.08 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $47.44 |
| Luzerne County | $133.47 (Nassau Life Insurance Company) | $91.07 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $42.40 |
| Lehigh County | $133.47 (Nassau Life Insurance Company) | $91.07 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $42.40 |
| Northampton County | $133.47 (Nassau Life Insurance Company) | $91.07 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $42.40 |
| Dauphin County | $133.47 (Nassau Life Insurance Company) | $91.07 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $42.40 |
| Erie County | $133.47 (Nassau Life Insurance Company) | $91.07 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $42.40 |
| Cumberland County | $133.47 (Nassau Life Insurance Company) | $91.07 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $42.40 |
Quoted at the ZIP covering the most of each county's land area, same profile as above.
Both Letters at 65, 70, 75 and 80
24 of 27 Pennsylvania carriers price on attained age, so both letters climb on birthdays. The floor gap goes from $54.08 at 65 to $86.26 at 80, and the median gap from $53.52 to $68.84. The saving from Plan N grows in dollars as you age. So does the number of appointments.
| Age | Plan G floor | Plan N floor | Floor gap | Plan G median | Plan N median | Median gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | $168.59 (Nassau Life Insurance Company) | $114.51 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $54.08 | $182.31 | $128.79 | $53.52 |
| 70 | $175.89 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $116.31 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $59.58 | $194.75 | $145.50 | $49.25 |
| 75 | $208.81 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $138.11 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $70.70 | $231.54 | $170.73 | $60.81 |
| 80 | $254.11 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $167.85 (Insurance Company of North America (Chubb)) | $86.26 | $269.20 | $200.36 | $68.84 |
Floors are Philadelphia County; medians are statewide filed medians for the letter and age.
Plan N in Pennsylvania is a stronger case than the national advice says.
Tell me your county, your birth date and how often you see a doctor. I put the 26 pairs on the board side by side and give you the letter and the carrier.
Get My Pennsylvania G vs N Answer — 855-559-1700Pennsylvanians Already Pick Plan N More Than Most
At the December 2023 NAIC count, 108,441 Pennsylvania policies were Plan N, 15.9% of 680,688, against 253,897 on Plan G and 203,390 on the closed Plan F. That Plan N share ranks 4 of 28 in our file. 27 carriers file Plan N on the Philadelphia County board, rank 5 of 28 for depth. 20 of the carriers in the pair table carry a 2026 Plan G filing, the largest AARP / UnitedHealthcare at +25.0% effective June 1, 2026; the statewide list is on 2026 Medigap rate increases.
Methodology
- All premiums are filed rates read at build time from the Pennsylvania file of our licensed CSG Actuarial pull dated September 11, 2026. Nothing is typed.
- Profile: woman, non-tobacco, individual, no household discount, ZIP 19153 in Philadelphia County; each carrier's lowest filed rate class. Bundled Plan G variants are excluded as not like-for-like.
- Pairs match a carrier's Plan G and Plan N by NAIC code; a company filing only one letter appears in a footnote, not the table.
- The excess-charge statement is Pennsylvania state law for care delivered in Pennsylvania; it does not follow you across a state line.
- Cross-state ranks compare Pennsylvania with the 28 state files carrying both letters at 65. Enrollment is the NAIC statewide count as of December 2023.
- Copay caps and deductibles are 2026 federal figures imported from one source file. Neither letter pays the Part B deductible.
Anthony Orner, NPN 20586791, 1309 Route 70 West, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002, 855-559-1700, licensed in Pennsylvania and 34 other states. MedicareYourself (EasyKind Medicare) is an independent brokerage with no affiliation to Medicare, CMS or any carrier. We do not offer every plan available in your area; contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE for all options.