Medicare: Enrolling In Medigap With A History Of A Serious Medical Condition
Open Enrollment For Medigap Plans For People Age 65 And Older
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The federal government requires insurance companies writing Medigap policies to allow Medicare beneficiaries to enroll during an open enrollment period that begins on the first day of the month that you are both:
- Age 65 or over (Medicare considers your age to change the day BEFORE your birthday, so if your birthday is on the first of the month, for Medicare purposes you will turn 65 the month before your birthday) and
- You are enrolled in Medicare Part B.
If you purchase a Medigap policy during an open enrollment period, the carrier must:
- Accept you for coverage regardless of your health condition or medical history.
- Not adjust the rates based on your health or medical history.
- Credit any pre-existing conditions waiting period (which can be up to six months) with time you spent covered under another plan, including Medicare, which ended within 63 days of the effective date of the Medigap coverage. (To learn more, see Pre-Existing Conditions Waiting Period below.)
If you already have other health coverage when you turn age 65 so you don't need Part B or a Medigap policy, you may decline Part B, effectively postponing your Medigap open enrollment period. If you later lose your other insurance, or if you enroll in Part B during the annual open enrollment period, you will have your open enrollment for Medigap coverage available to you.
The Medigap open enrollment period lasts for six months. For example, you turn 65 on May 15 and you enrolled in Parts A and B during April. Your Medicare becomes effective on May 1.Your open enrollment period for Medigap will last for 6 months from May1 through October 31.
If you have coverage from an employer or your spouse's policy, you may protect your right to an open enrollment in a Medigap plan at a later date by declining Part B Medicare initially. See Medicare -- Advice -- Enrollment for more information on declining Part B Medicare.
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