What is Plan J?
By Daniel Petkevich
Jul 14, 2025
Plan J is a Medicare Supplement plan, but we don't recommend it.
Medigap Plan J: Great Back Then—But Plan G Wins Now
Speak with a Medicare Advocate
Quick History
Plan J closed to new buyers on June 1, 2010.
It once covered almost every gap, even some that Original Medicare now pays for directly.
If you already have Plan J you can keep it, but no one new can enroll.
What Plan J Covered
Core Gaps (also in Plan G today)
Part A coinsurance and hospital costs
Part B coinsurance
First three pints of blood
Skilled-nursing facility coinsurance
Part A deductible
Part B excess charges
80 % of emergency care abroad
Extras That Are Now Obsolete
Part B deductible (Medicare stopped allowing this in new Medigap plans after 2020)
Prescription drugs (replaced by Part D in 2006)
At-home recovery & preventive care (Medicare now covers them)
Why Plan J Went Away
Part D replaced its drug benefit.
Medicare added preventive and at-home recovery coverage, making those Plan J perks redundant.
Without new members, premiums rose sharply.
Still Have Plan J?
You may keep it, but expect premiums to climb as the risk pool shrinks.
Want to switch? Outside your Medigap Open Enrollment you’ll face underwriting in most states, so call us first.
Why We Recommend Plan G in 2025
Covers every gap except the small Part B deductible ($257 in 2025).
Often $40-$70/month cheaper than Plan F yet only leaves you that one deductible to pay.
Standardized nationwide—same benefits no matter which insurer you choose.
Available to anyone new to Medicare after 2019.
Bottom line: Plan J was once the Cadillac of Medigap, but today Plan G delivers the best value for the broadest coverage.
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Virgil Insurance Agency, LLC (DBA Fair Square Medicare) and www.fairsquaremedicare.com are privately owned and operated by Help Button Inc. Medicare supplement insurance plans are not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. This is a solicitation of insurance. A licensed agent/producer may contact you. Medicare Supplement insurance is available to those age 65 and older enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B and, in some states, to those under age 65 eligible for Medicare due to disability or End-Stage Renal disease. Virgil Insurance Agency is a licensed and certified representative of Medicare Advantage HMO, HMO SNP, PPO, PPO SNP and PFFS organizations and stand-alone PDP prescription drug plans. Each of the organizations we represent has a Medicare contract. Enrollment in any plan depends on contract renewal. The plans we represent do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Plan availability varies by region and state. For a complete list of available plans please contact 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day/7 days a week or consult www.medicare.gov. © 2025 Help Button Inc
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
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