Just the Tip:
Apply for a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy in the six months that start once you’re 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. In that one-time window, insurers can’t turn you down or charge more because of your health. In most states, Medicare’s fall open enrollment offers no second chance, so don’t wait for it.
Once your six months end, insurers can ask about your health, then turn you down or charge more, unless a guaranteed-issue right applies. Major insurers’ applications list even high blood pressure as possible grounds for denial, a KFF review found. Only Connecticut and New York give everyone 65 and older another chance year-round. Massachusetts guarantees one every February and March, and Maine once a year for Plan A.
Two different periods are called open enrollment. Your six months are the Medigap Open Enrollment Period. Medicare’s fall open enrollment, Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, is for joining, switching, or dropping Medicare Advantage and drug plans, and only Rhode Island and Minnesota tie limited Medigap windows to it. State birthday rules don’t help first-time buyers either, since they only let people who already have Medigap switch plans.
If you work past 65, the window opens when Part B starts, even while you have a job-based plan, and can close before you need Medigap. When that plan pays before Medicare, as it does at employers with 20 or more workers, you can delay Part B without a late penalty and save the window for when the coverage ends. Helping a parent? Their Medicare card lists the Part B start date under MEDICAL.
Losing a Medicare Advantage plan brings a separate right, covered in our guide to Medigap after an Advantage plan ends.
Mutual of Omaha is a strong place to apply. Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company holds an A+ (Superior) financial strength rating from AM Best. Its online tool prices Plan G from your ZIP code, birth date, and sex, no contact details needed, and you can apply online. Couples can save with its household discount where it’s available, though the amount and rules vary by state.
Our Mutual of Omaha review has sample quotes from three cities. Plan G benefits don’t vary by insurer, so compare your quote with Medicare.gov’s Plan G prices for your ZIP code, then apply while your window is open.
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