What Is Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment? 

Medicare Supplement open enrollment is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to buy any Medigap plan you want in your state. During this period, insurers cannot deny you for preexisting health conditions. The period starts the first day of the month you’re 65 or older and 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:signed up for Part B Medicare, and lasts just six months. 🐼If you don’t sign up for a Medicare Supplement plan during open enrollment, you’ll face a m🌳uch harder time getting a plan—and will likely pay more for it.  

How Medigap Open Enrollment Works

During your 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Medicare Supplement (Medigap) open enrollment, you can sign up for any plan available in your state. Privat🍌e insurance companies sell these plans. During this period, all insurers and plans have the following requirements:

• They must accept your application (澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:guaranteed issue).
• If you have preexisting health conditions, you won’t pay more or face waiting periods.
• They must guarantee renewability. No matter what your health is like, as long as you pay your 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Part B premiums and Medigap policy premiums, you must be able to renew the policy.
• They must allow you to see any doctor who accepts Medicare.

If you miss open enrollment, 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:underwriters will review the state of your health when you try buying a Medigap plan. Based o𒆙n their assessments, you could:

• Pay higher premiums
• Face a coverage waiting period for 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:preexisting conditions
• Be denied a plan altogether

There are also a few special situations allowing you to purchase or 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:switch Medigap plans later without these drawbacks.

State-Based Open Enrollment Periods

Some states offer additiona💙l Medicare Supple༺ment open enrollment periods. The open enrollment period rules differ by state and vary from the national policy. Some only allow you to switch plans if you already have one, while a few others allow you to sign up for a Medigap plan without existing coverage.

Similarly to Medigap open enrollment, thes🅠e state-based Medigap open enrollment periods are on a guaranteed issue basis. The insurance carrier must issue you the Medicare Supplement policy and set the price without reviewing your health history, and in most cases, it cannot institute a waiting period.

Year-Round Open Enrollment

Medicare beneficiaries may be able to enroll in a Medigap plan with guaranteed issue at any time in a handful of states. For example, in New York, a person enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B can buy a Medigap policy at any time. Depending upon your situation, there may be a waivable six-month waiting period.

In Maine, insurers each set a one-month open enrollment period to offer Plan A. Anyone who qualifies and wishes to enroll can do so.

Year-Round Open En💛rollment for Current Medigap Recipiಌents

Some states may allow you to switch your Medicare Supplement enꦜrollmen🍃t year-round if you already have a Medigap plan.

In Washington, if you already have a Medigap plan, you can switch throughout the year to a new plan. However, Plan A enrollees can only switch to another Plan A insurer. 

Birthday-Based Open Enrollment Plan Changes

For most birthday-rule open enrollment periods, people who already have Medigap can switch to another Medigap plan with equal or lesser value after their annual birthday date. However, you can’t switch to a plan with additional benefi🌌ts that costs more. 

As one birthday rule example, Maryland began offering a once-yearly open enrollment period in 2023. The period begins on your birthday and continues for 30 days after your birthday. California offers a similar situation with a ✃60-day period. 

Other Qualifying Events 

States set their own rules for special enrollment periods that allow you to get a Medigap plan, just as if you’d attempted to sign up🎀 during your in🎃itial open enrollment. 

For example, Maine offers a much longer three-year “trial period” for people who try 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Medicare Advantage when they are first eligible for M♑edicare at age 65. These Medicare beneficiaries can enroll in a Medigap plan if deciding to quit Medicare Adva📖ntage. 

In California, Medicare recipients dropped from Medi-Cal have a guaranteed issue right. 

Comparing Medigap Open Enrollment Discounts 

While Medicare-specific plan benefits are the same regardless of the inꦇsurer, you can still look for additional unique benefits and preꦉmium discounts that each insurer can provide. Typical premium discounts include those for:

• Online enrollment when applying for the Medigap plan 
• Automatic payments
• Sharing a home with another insured person, such as a spouse or roommate

Other discounted services could include dental, vision, fit♏ness, personal safety devices, and heaಌring services.

Some Medigap plans may offer extra benefits such as a 24/7 nurse line, a free gym membership, or other assistance. You might also be able to supplement your coverage with a prescription drug plan (Part D) or dental insurance from the same insurer.

Medicare Supplement O♕pen Enrollment vs. Medicare Ope𝓀n Enrollment

In general, Medicare Supplement open enrollment has far more restriction꧒s, is offered only once, and is more similar to the Medicare initial enrollment period. However, rules regarding Medigap plans are very state-dependent.

澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Medicare open enrollment allows you to drop, change, or enroll in Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage❀ plans offered by private insurers. Unfortunately, you can’t add, drop, or change Medigap plans durin💮g this annual enrollment period. 

How to Buy a Medicare Supplement Plan

Start the process of Medigap plan shoppingꦕ right away—or even before the Medicare Supplement open enrollment period—to prevent feeling hurried.

1. Compare different Medigap plans. Remember that each letter plan offers the same coverage, no matter which insurance company you buy from.
2. Choose your plan carefully. You may not be able to switch plans easily in the future. 
3. Use the to discover which plans are sold in your ZIP code. You can sort the results by monthly premium (low to high), company name, or pricing type. 
4. Collect information. Note the prices and the insurance company's contact information. 
5. Call at least three insurance companies for Medicare quotes. Prices may vary, even though plan healthcare coverage is the same. Read the policy before you buy. Alternatively, you can work with your state’s SHIP representative or a licensed insurance agent recommended to you by friends and family.
6. Fill out the insurance company’s paper, phone, or online application. The application may include basic information and an EFT form to pay your premium with automatic transfers.

The Medicare Supplement Plan Application

Depending on your plan, the following may be ♔requested🐽 on the application.

• Plan choice 
• Your name
• Medicare number
• Medicare effective dates for Part A and Part B
• Address, phone number, and email 
• Race and ethnicity 
• Other coverage information regarding your Medicare Part A eligibility and enrollment, plus any applicable past or current Medicaid, 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:Medicare Advantage, Medigap or group insurance coverage 
• Billing options 
• Authorization for use and disclosure of health information

You may need to provi🐓de a photocopy of a valid state driver’s license or identification card and a current utility bill with your name and address.

If you’ve missed open enrollment, you’ll need to gather additional materials, w🐻hich are described below.

What Happens if You Miss 🅘Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment?

The answer depends on why you missed your open enrollment. If you missed it because you were covered by an employer’s insurance plan when you turned 65, you have another chance. Your one-time Medigap open enrollmen⭕t period runs for six months after you sign up for Medicare Part B. 

If you missed the open enrollment period, didn’t have coverage, and don’t qualify for a federal- or state-based guaranteed issue period, you will likely have to fill out the rigorous health or medical section of the application. This portion will ask you questions such as

• Height
• Weight
• Use of tobacco or vaping in the past 12 months
• Chronic and acute conditions: Diagnosis, treatment, or advice received
• Hospitalization and operations: History, declined, and scheduled for the future 
• Prescription medications taken within the past 12 months

With each condition, hospitalization, or other situation, you may need to provide the related year, duration, recovery status, and physician contact information. The process can be time-consuming and require 🦋documentation or even follow-up research from the insurer. 

An underwriter will review your application and determine whether to approve or deny yo🅘ur application, and the rate to charge you.  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Bottom Line

Medigap can help protect you against unexpected costs associated with Medicare. Unfortunately, the time span you have to shop, select, and buy any pla꧑n you want—which you’ll likely use for the rest of your life—is really just six months. If you can, seek out plan information and estimates in advance of your open enrollment window. While you’re researching, learn if any special state-based Medigap switch protections might apply in the future.