Enrollment
When can I enroll?
Timing drives more Medigap outcomes than any other factor. Here is how the windows work.
A simple timeline
- 6 months beforeLearn the vocabulary, review what Original Medicare pays, and note your Part B start date.
- 3 months beforeYour Initial Enrollment Period opens. Confirm how and when you will enroll in Part A and Part B.
- Part B start monthYour six-month Medigap open enrollment period begins. This is the window with the fewest health questions.
- After that windowApplications outside open enrollment or a guaranteed issue situation may be medically underwritten.
Medigap Open Enrollment
Six months beginning the first month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During this window you can generally buy any Medigap policy sold in your state without health underwriting.
Guaranteed Issue Rights
Certain situations — such as losing other coverage through no fault of your own, or a plan leaving your area — can create a protected right to buy specific Medigap plans without underwriting. Rules and timelines are strict, so documentation matters.
Medical Underwriting
Outside protected windows, a carrier may ask health questions, review prescription history, and decide whether to approve an application. Approval standards differ by carrier and by state.
Switching Medicare Supplement plans
You may apply to change plans at any time of year. What differs is whether health questions apply.
- Do not cancel existing coverage until a new policy is approved and in force
- Compare the plan letter first, then the carrier's premium and rate history
- Ask whether the carrier rates by attained age, issue age, or community rating
- Confirm household discounts and payment options
- Review your Part D coverage separately each year
- Ask about any state-specific switching protections that may apply