Does Medigap Cover Skilled Nursing Facility Care?
Esta guía también está en español.
Key takeaways
- Under Original Medicare in 2026, a covered skilled nursing facility stay costs $0 a day for days 1-20 and $217 a day for days 21-100 of each benefit period.
- Medicare's Medigap plan chart shows Plans C, D, F, G, M and N pay 100% of the skilled nursing facility coinsurance, Plan K pays 50%, Plan L pays 75%, and Plans A and B pay none.
- In 2026, Plan K's out-of-pocket limit is $8,000 and Plan L's is $4,000. High-deductible Plans F and G pay nothing until you pay up to $2,950 in Medicare-covered costs.
- Medigap policies generally don't cover long-term care, like non-skilled care you get in a nursing home.
- Medigap works only with Original Medicare. It can't pay Medicare Advantage Plan costs.
Short answer
Eight of the 10 standard Medigap plans pay some or all of the daily coinsurance for a skilled nursing facility stay that Original Medicare covers. Under Original Medicare, a covered stay costs $217 a day for days 21–100 in 2026. The Medigap plan chart in Medicare's official guide shows that Plans C, D, F, G, M and N pay 100% of that coinsurance, Plan K pays 50% and Plan L pays 75%. Plans A and B don't cover it.
Medigap plans generally don't cover long-term care, such as non-skilled care you get in a nursing home.
Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) is private insurance that works alongside Original Medicare. Federal rules define a Medigap policy as insurance designed to pay costs Medicare doesn't pay because of deductibles, coinsurance or other Medicare limits. This guide shows what each standard plan letter pays toward a skilled nursing facility stay. It does not recommend a plan.
Which Medigap plans pay skilled nursing facility coinsurance?
Six of the ten standard plans pay all of the skilled nursing facility coinsurance, two pay part of it, and two pay none. This is the "skilled nursing facility care coinsurance" row of the chart in Medicare's guide Choosing a Medigap Policy (March 2026).
| Plan | Share of the coinsurance the plan pays | What you pay of the daily coinsurance |
|---|---|---|
| C, D, F, G, M, N | 100% | Nothing |
| K | 50% | The other 50%, until the yearly limit |
| L | 75% | The other 25%, until the yearly limit |
| A, B | 0% | All of it |
| High-deductible F or G | Nothing until the deductible is met | Up to $2,950 of Medicare-covered costs first (2026) |
In words: with Plan K, the plan pays half of the $217 daily coinsurance. With Plan L, it pays three-quarters. Medicare.gov's legend says a percentage means the plan covers that share and you are responsible for the rest.
What does a skilled nursing facility stay cost under Original Medicare in 2026?
Under Original Medicare in 2026, a covered skilled nursing facility stay costs $0 a day for days 1–20 and $217 a day for days 21–100 of each benefit period. Medicare.gov words days 1–20 as $0 each day after you pay the $1,736 Part A deductible for the benefit period.
| Days (each benefit period) | You pay under Original Medicare |
|---|---|
| Days 1–20 | $0 a day |
| Days 21–100 | $217 a day |
| Day 101 on | All costs |
If Medicare covers all 80 days from day 21 through day 100, the coinsurance can add up to $17,360 in one benefit period. CMS raised the daily amount for 2026 from $209.50 in 2025. Our Medicare skilled nursing cost calculator adds up the coinsurance for any number of days. For the rules on when Medicare covers a stay and how the days are counted, see our guide to Medicare's 100-day rule for skilled nursing and what Medicare pays for in a nursing home.
How do Medicare and Medigap split the cost of a skilled nursing stay?
Medicare's guide says Medicare pays its share of the Medicare-approved amount first, and then your Medigap policy pays its share. Medicare.gov says Medigap plans help cover your share of costs for services that Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) covers. The guide also says a Medigap policy only helps pay for costs that Original Medicare doesn't cover. Medicare's chart lists the benefit as skilled nursing facility care coinsurance, which is the daily amount you owe for days 21–100 of a covered stay.
If you are unsure whether a stay will be covered, the 100-day rule guide explains Medicare's conditions. Your insurance company can tell you how your own policy pays.
How do the Plan K and Plan L out-of-pocket limits work?
In 2026, Plan K's out-of-pocket limit is $8,000 and Plan L's is $4,000. Medicare.gov says that after you meet that yearly limit and your yearly Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), Plans K and L pay 100% of covered services for the rest of the calendar year. Until then, you pay the share of the skilled nursing facility coinsurance that the plan doesn't pay.
How does high-deductible Plan F or Plan G handle skilled nursing?
In some states, Plans F and G also come in a high-deductible version. Medicare.gov says that in 2026 you must pay up to $2,950 for Medicare-covered costs, such as coinsurance, copayments and deductibles, before the policy pays anything. Skilled nursing facility coinsurance is one of those Medicare-covered costs.
Can I still buy Plan C or Plan F?
Not if you are new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. Medicare's guide says plans sold to people new to Medicare since then aren't allowed to cover the Part B deductible, so Plans C and F are no longer available to them. Medicare.gov says your eligibility for C or F depends on when you first became eligible for Medicare. If you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, but haven't yet enrolled, Medicare's guide says you may be able to buy Plan C or Plan F. Medicare's guide says people new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 can buy Plans D and G instead, which give the same benefits as C and F but don't cover the Part B deductible. The chart shows both D and G pay 100% of the skilled nursing facility coinsurance.
Does Medigap pay for long-term care in a nursing home?
Generally, no. Medicare's guide says Medigap policies generally don't cover long-term care, like non-skilled care you get in a nursing home. They also generally don't cover private-duty nursing. Medicare itself generally doesn't cover long-term care in a nursing home either. To see how the two kinds of stay differ, read short-term rehab vs. long-term care. For one way people pay for long-term care, see how Medicaid pays for a nursing home.
Does Medigap work with a Medicare Advantage plan?
No. Medicare's guide says you can only buy Medigap if you have Original Medicare. A Medigap policy can't pay any Medicare Advantage Plan deductibles, copayments, coinsurance or premiums. The guide also says it is illegal for someone to sell you a Medigap policy if they know you're in a Medicare Advantage Plan, unless you're switching back to Original Medicare. If a Medicare Advantage plan has refused a skilled nursing stay, see how to appeal a Medicare Advantage skilled nursing denial.
When can you buy a Medigap policy?
Your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period starts the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older. It happens only once and doesn't repeat every year. During it, an insurance company can't refuse to sell you any Medigap policy it offers, and it can't charge you more because of health problems. Medicare's guide says the company can't make you wait for coverage, except for coverage related to a pre-existing condition.
After that period, Medicare.gov says there's no federal guarantee that a company will sell you a policy, and if you can buy one, it may cost more because of past or present health problems. Guaranteed issue rights let you buy certain policies outside open enrollment, but only in limited situations. A Medigap policy covers one person, so spouses each need their own.
Do the plan letters work the same in every state?
No. Medicare's guide says Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin standardize Medigap policies in a different way. The lettered chart above does not apply there in the same way. Your State Insurance Department can explain the policies sold in those states.
Where can you get free help comparing Medigap policies?
Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) gives free help, including with buying a Medigap policy. Find your local SHIP at shiphelp.org. Your State Insurance Department answers questions about Medigap policies sold in your area. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you are choosing a facility for a skilled nursing stay, you can search any certified nursing home by name, city or ZIP code on our nursing home search page and compare nursing homes side by side.