Open Enrollment and Medigap (Medicare Supplement) Policies

Medicare Open Enrollment is NOT for changing Medigap policies. 

In most states and situations, after you’ve been enrolled in Medicare Part B for six month, you no longer have a Guaranteed Issue Right to get a new policy. 

During the first six months you are over the age of 65 AND enrolled in Part B, you have a Guaranteed Issue Right to a Medigap policy (also known as a Medigap Open Enrollment Period).  With a Guaranteed Issue Right, the insurance companies that sell this coverage:

• Must sell you a Medigap policy
• Must cover all your pre-existing health conditions
• Can't charge you more for a Medigap policy because of past or present health problems

Without a Guaranteed Issue Right, insurance companies can medical underwriting when you want to add benefits or change policies. This means:

• The insurance company can ask you questions about your health.
• Based upon your answers, the insurance company can raise premiums or deny you coverage. 

Read more at www.65incorporated.com/topics/original-medicare/what-guaranteed-issue-right. 

Here are situations in which a person who owns a Medigap policy has a guaranteed issue right. 

In the following states/situations, you must have an existing policy to change policies.

• “Birthday rules” (BR) in CA, ID, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, NV, OK, OR, UT, VA, WY give the ability to change policies in a specific period of time around your day of birth
• “Anniversary rules” in MO allow you to change policies in a time period around the date you purchased your policy
• “Continuous open enrollment rules” (COE) in ME, WA allow you to change policies any time during the year

States with Continuous Guaranteed Issue (CGI):

• In NY, CT, get/change Medigap policies at any time:
  • If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you must be able to disenroll from that plan before getting a Medigap policy
  • Proposed in MN for 2026 start
• In MA:
  • Policies can offer CGI with new coverage beginning the first day of the next month after the change, OR
  • If not CGI, all carriers must participate in Medigap Open Enrollment Feb. 1-March 31 with the new coverage beginning June 1
• In ME, CGI for Plan A only:
  • If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you must be able to disenroll from that plan before getting a Medigap policy