Thinking about changing your Medicare Supplement policy? Your ability to get a new policy depends on your enrollment protections, your state, and sometimes your health.
The key point: Medicare’s fall Open Enrollment does not give you an automatic right to buy or change a Medigap policy without a health review. You can apply throughout the year, but acceptance is not always guaranteed.
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What fall Open Enrollment does
Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7. It is the annual opportunity to change Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug coverage, with changes generally starting January 1. It is different from your personal Medigap Open Enrollment Period. Learn about fall Open Enrollment.
Medigap, also called Medicare Supplement Insurance, helps pay certain costs left over after Original Medicare pays. It does not work with Medicare Advantage.
Already have Medigap? You generally do not need to reapply or choose a new policy each fall. Standardized Medigap policies renew automatically as long as you meet the policy requirements, including paying premiums. You can review your separate Part D plan without changing your Medigap policy.
Your first six months with Part B
Your federal Medigap Open Enrollment Period lasts six months. It starts the first month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. For example, if you are already 65 and Part B starts July 1, this period runs July through December. It does not repeat each fall.
During this period, an insurer cannot use your health history to:
- Refuse to sell you a Medigap policy it offers and that you are eligible to buy.
- Charge you more because of past or present health problems.
A detail about pre-existing conditions: Being accepted does not always mean immediate Medigap payment for a condition you already have. A waiting period of up to six months can apply in some circumstances; prior qualifying coverage may reduce or eliminate it. Ask whether a waiting period applies to you.
Read about your Medigap Open Enrollment protections.
Changing policies after that
After your initial enrollment period, you can still apply for a new policy. However, unless a federal or state protection applies, the insurer may use medical underwriting: reviewing your health history to decide whether to accept you and what premium to charge. You could be accepted, charged more, or denied. This can apply even when you want the same plan letter from a different company. Check your options for switching.
Guaranteed issue rights are protections that apply in certain situations. They require insurers to sell you certain Medigap policies without charging more because of your health or excluding pre-existing conditions. The policies available depend on the right you qualify for.
Examples of situations that may give you a protected opportunity include:
- Your Medicare Advantage plan leaves Medicare or you move outside its service area, and you return to Original Medicare.
- You lose qualifying employer or union coverage that supplements Medicare.
- Your Medigap insurer goes bankrupt or you lose coverage through no fault of your own.
- You qualify for a Medicare Advantage trial right and return to Original Medicare within the applicable first-year period.
Each situation has conditions and deadlines. Save coverage-ending notices and ask promptly which policies you can buy, what proof is needed, and when you must apply. Use Medicare’s guide to buying a Medigap policy.
A brief note about state rules
Some states offer additional opportunities to buy or change Medigap without medical underwriting. These may include birthday, policy-anniversary, or ongoing enrollment protections. They are separate from Medicare’s fall Open Enrollment.
Some protections require an existing Medigap policy; others may allow a first-time purchase. Available plans, deadlines, and eligibility vary. Confirm your specific situation with your state insurance department before relying on a state rule.
Find your state insurance department
Before you change coverage
- Check your protections first. Ask whether your initial Medigap enrollment period, a guaranteed issue right, or a state rule applies. Do not assume a premium increase creates a right to switch without underwriting.
- Compare matching coverage. In most states, policies with the same plan letter have the same basic benefits. Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin use different standardization systems. Confirm the exact benefits and premium before applying. Review Medigap basics.
- Get the decision in writing. Confirm approval, the final premium, the effective date, and any waiting period. A price quote alone is not approval.
- Coordinate the switch. If replacing Medigap, ask how the 30-day “free look” period works. You pay both premiums during the overlap while deciding whether to keep the new policy. Read Medicare’s switching guidance.
Do not cancel your current Medigap policy too soon. Wait until the new policy is approved, you have reviewed it, and you have decided to keep it. Confirm the dates with both insurers so you do not accidentally create a coverage gap.
Leaving Medicare Advantage? Being allowed to return to Original Medicare does not automatically guarantee Medigap acceptance. Confirm your Medigap eligibility and approval before making the change. Coordinate the end of Medicare Advantage with the start of Original Medicare and Medigap, and arrange separate Part D coverage if needed. See how these coverages work together.
What to ask: “I want to buy or change a Medigap policy. Do I qualify to do this without medical underwriting? Which policies can I buy, what is my deadline, and what documents do you need?”
For free, personalized help, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Medicare’s buying guide includes a link to local SHIP help.
Last reviewed: September 2026. State protections and policy availability can change. Confirm the rules, deadlines, and approval for your situation before changing coverage.
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