Plan F Eligibility: Who Can Still Buy It in 2026

You can buy Medigap Plan F only if you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Federal guidance says people who were eligible before that date but have not yet enrolled may be able to buy it. If you became eligible on or after that date, Plan F is closed to you, and Plan G is the closest alternative. If you already have Plan F, you can keep it.

This guide explains the rule, who is affected, what “grandfathered” means, what Plan F covers, and what Central Oregon residents can do whether they qualify or not.

TL;DR

• Plan F is open to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. It is closed to anyone who became eligible on or after that date.
• If you already have Plan F or high-deductible Plan F, you keep it as long as you pay the premium.
• Newly eligible people can choose Plan G. It covers the same listed costs as Plan F except the Part B deductible.
• Oregon’s birthday rule lets some current Medigap holders switch plans once a year without health questions.
• We offer free consultations in Bend to check your eligibility date and your options.

Table of Contents

• The rule: why Plan F has a cutoff date
• Who can enroll in Plan F
• Who cannot buy Plan F
• What “grandfathered” means for current Plan F holders
• What Plan F covers
• If you are newly eligible: Plan G and Plan D
• Can you buy Plan F if you are eligible? Underwriting and guaranteed issue
• Oregon’s birthday rule for Plan F holders
• Perspective
• How to check your own eligibility
• Get a clear answer from a local agent
• FAQ
• Sources

The rule: why Plan F has a cutoff date

A federal law, MACRA, changed what Medigap plans can cover. The NAIC, the association of state insurance regulators, explains that the law prohibits Medigap policies from covering the Part B deductible for people first eligible on or after January 1, 2020. Plan F and Plan C are the standardized plans that include that coverage, so they became unavailable to people new to Medicare after that date.

The rule is about when you became eligible, not about where you live or which company you choose. Oregon follows the same line. The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services states that Plans C, F and high-deductible F may not be offered to individuals newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020.

Who can enroll in Plan F

You can generally apply for Plan F if you meet both of these conditions:

1. You were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020.
2. You have Medicare Part A and Part B, which every Medigap policy requires.

The NAIC bulletin confirms the law did not close earlier Plan F business. It permits people eligible before January 1, 2020 to purchase Plan F after December 31, 2019. In practice, this group is now mostly in their early seventies or older. It also includes some younger people who qualified through disability before 2020.

Being allowed to buy Plan F and being guaranteed a policy are separate questions. Outside certain protected situations, a carrier can ask health questions. We cover that below.

Who cannot buy Plan F

Medicare.gov describes the affected group as people who turned 65 on or after January 1, 2020, or got Part A on or after that date. For that group, standard Plan F, high-deductible Plan F and Plan C are not available.

Two examples show how the date works:

• Turned 65 in 2021. You became eligible in 2021, so Plan F is closed to you. Plan G is open.
• Turned 65 in 2018 but delayed Part B because you had employer coverage. You were eligible before 2020, so you may still be able to buy Plan F when you enroll. Confirm this with an advisor before you act, because the details of your enrollment history matter.

Younger people qualify for Medicare through disability, and their eligibility date is when their coverage began. If you are in that situation, the date you first became eligible decides everything. Reading about Medicare for SSDI recipients can help you work out when your coverage started.

What “grandfathered” means for current Plan F holders

If you have Plan F today, nothing about the 2020 law takes it away. Medicare.gov says people who already have Plan F or high-deductible Plan F, or were covered by one before the cutoff, can keep it.

The NAIC adds that existing pre-2020 coverage is guaranteed renewable and cannot be cancelled solely because of the law, provided you pay your premium. So “grandfathered” really means this: the plan stays open to a closed group, and current members stay in it.

One practical point: keep your policy documents and your Medicare card in a safe place. When you talk to an agent about any change, your original effective date and plan type are the first things we look at.

What Plan F covers

Plan F is the most comprehensive standardized Medigap plan. Medicare.gov’s chart lists these benefits for it:

• Part A hospital coinsurance, plus up to 365 additional hospital days after Medicare benefits are used
• Part B coinsurance or copayments
• Blood costs for the first three pints
• Hospice coinsurance or copayments
• Skilled nursing facility coinsurance
• The Part A deductible
• The Part B deductible
• Part B excess charges
• 80% of emergency care costs during foreign travel, up to plan limits

These details come from the Medicare.gov Medigap guide. The same guide notes that Medigap plans generally do not cover routine dental or vision care, hearing aids, long-term custodial care, private-duty nursing or prescription drugs. That is why many of our clients pair a Medigap plan with a separate Part D drug plan and standalone dental and vision coverage.

If you travel, the foreign-travel benefit matters. We wrote a separate guide on confirming Medicare travel coverage.

If you are newly eligible: Plan G and Plan D

For people new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, Medicare.gov names Plan G or Plan D as the alternatives. The Medicare Rights Center explains that Plans D and G cover the same listed out-of-pocket costs as Plans C and F, except for the Part B deductible.

Plan G is the one most newly eligible people look at. The difference from Plan F comes down to a single item:

Because Plan G leaves only the Part B deductible, you know your yearly exposure for covered services in advance. If you are also weighing a lower-cost option, our comparison of Plan G and Plan N walks through how the two work in practice.

Can you buy Plan F if you are eligible? Underwriting and guaranteed issue

Eligibility to buy Plan F does not always mean automatic acceptance. When you first enroll in Part B and are 65 or older, you have a six-month Medigap open enrollment period in which carriers must sell you a policy regardless of health. Our guide to choosing a Medigap plan while open enrollment lasts explains how that window works, and our piece on preexisting conditions in Oregon covers what happens if you wait.

Outside that window, Medicare.gov says federal switching rights are limited and generally need a specific guaranteed-issue situation, though state law may add opportunities. In a qualifying federal situation, you may be able to choose any Plan A, B, C, D, F or G sold in your state, and you generally have 63 days after coverage ends to apply when your prior company ends it.

Oregon’s official guide lists common triggers for these periods. They include loss of employer or retiree coverage, certain Medicare Advantage or PACE situations, loss of Medicaid, or involuntary loss of Medigap coverage. It also says that when employer group, Medicare Advantage or PACE coverage ends in a qualifying way, you may be entitled to choose any Medigap plan. When Medigap coverage ends involuntarily, the protected choices may be the same plan or one with fewer benefits.

If you are leaving a Medicare Advantage plan, timing matters. See our guides on the Medicare Advantage disenrollment period and the Advantage open enrollment period.

Oregon’s birthday rule for Plan F holders

Oregon gives existing Medigap policyholders a switching right that many states do not. The state’s fact sheet says you may apply from 30 days before through 30 days after your birthday to replace your coverage with the same plan type or a plan with fewer benefits, as allowed by Oregon’s replacement matrix. The change is guaranteed regardless of your health. Oregon advises waiting to cancel your old policy until the replacement is issued.

The fact sheet gives a Plan F example: an enrollee may switch to any 2010 Medicare Supplement Plan A through N except an Innovative Plan F, subject to the matrix and Medicare-eligibility restrictions.

What this means for you:

• If you hold Plan F, you can move to a plan with fewer benefits, such as Plan G or Plan N, once a year in your birthday window without health questions.
• The rule moves you toward the same or fewer benefits, so it is a tool for comparing premiums, not for adding coverage.
• You should wait until the new policy is issued before ending the old one.

We explain the mechanics in Oregon’s birthday rule window and in our guide to switching Medigap plans in Central Oregon. For a wider view, see Medigap in Oregon: plans, costs and the birthday rule.

Perspective

Most people who call us about Plan F ask one question first: “Can I still get it?” The honest answer depends on one date, the day you first became eligible for Medicare. We start there, every time, before we talk about any carrier or any plan.

We are a local agency in Bend, and our approach is education first. Plan F is a good plan for the people who can still have it. If you already have it, we help you understand exactly what it covers and what your options are each year, including the Oregon birthday rule. If you are newly eligible, we explain Plan G in plain terms so you know what your Part B deductible means in real dollars.

Medicare has deadlines that do not forgive much. We would rather you sit down with us for a free consultation, in person or remotely, and leave with a clear picture, than guess your way through a decision you will live with for years.

Jesse Zimmerman

How to check your own eligibility

Follow these steps:

1. Find your Medicare effective date. Your Medicare card shows when Part A and Part B began.
2. Work out when you first became eligible. For most people it is the month they turned 65. If you qualified through disability, it is the date your coverage began.
3. Compare it to January 1, 2020. Before that date, Plan F may be open to you. On or after, look at Plan G.
4. Check your enrollment history. If you delayed Part B because of employer coverage, you may have special enrollment rights.
5. Ask about timing. Open enrollment, guaranteed issue and the birthday rule each have their own windows.

Our Medicare eligibility page explains how Parts A, B, C and D fit together. If you are still planning ahead, the step-by-step guide to turning 65 and our list of common enrollment mistakes help you avoid costly errors.

Get a clear answer from a local agent

We are Mountain Top Insurance, a Bend agency that helps Central Oregon residents with Medicare enrollment, Medigap advice, and dental and vision plans. Our consultations are free. We can confirm whether Plan F is open to you, review your current policy, or explain Plan G. See our Medicare Supplement plans, or book through Medicare enrollment assistance. Already enrolled? An annual plan review is a good way to check that your coverage still fits.

FAQ

Is Plan F still available in 2026?

Yes, but only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. People who became eligible on or after that date cannot buy it. Carriers still sell it to the eligible group.

Can I keep Plan F if I already have it?

Yes. Medicare.gov says people who already have Plan F can keep it. The NAIC says it is guaranteed renewable as long as you pay your premium, and the 2020 law is not a reason for cancellation.

I turned 65 after 2019. What is closest to Plan F?

Plan G. It covers the same listed costs as Plan F except the Part B deductible. You pay that deductible yourself each year before Medicare Part B begins paying its share.

Can I switch from Plan F to another plan in Oregon?

Often yes. Oregon’s birthday rule lets existing policyholders move to the same or a lower-benefit plan from 30 days before to 30 days after their birthday, without health questions. Wait until the new policy is issued before cancelling the old one.

Can I enroll in Plan F if I was eligible before 2020 but never signed up for Medigap?

Potentially, yes. Medicare.gov says people eligible before January 1, 2020 who are not yet enrolled may be able to buy it. Health questions may apply outside protected windows, so talk to a licensed agent about your timing.

Sources

• Medicare Supplement Insurance guide, Medicare.gov
• NAIC MACRA producer bulletin
• Oregon standard provisions for Medicare supplement plans
• Medigap changes in 2020, Medicare Rights Center
• Oregon birthday rule fact sheet
• Can I switch or drop my Medigap policy? Medicare.gov
• Oregon Guide to Medicare Insurance Plans

Recommended

• Medicare AEP 2026: Key Dates, Rules, and What’s New
• Medicare Plan Changes in 2026: What Bend Residents Should Know
• Part D Prescription Drug Stages: How Each Phase Works in 2026
• Medicare Enrollment Periods You Need to Know for 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized advice. Medicare rules and plan details change frequently.