When enrolling in a Medicare Supplement plan, it’s important to understand whether you must undergo medical underwriting, or if you have guaranteed issue rights. Individuals who have guaranteed issue rights can purchase a Medicare Supplement plan, regardless of whether they have pre-existing health conditions.
Individuals who must undergo medical underwriting, however, can be denied a policy, or their costs can be higher. Fortunately, everyone has at least one opportunity to enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan without medical underwriting. Below, you can learn more about the enrollment periods for Medigap plans and how to ensure you are able to get the policy you want.
Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period
For most, the Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enroll in any Medigap plan without underwriting.
Underwriting for Medigap Plans
You can enroll in a Medigap plan any time after you become eligible, but you may need to undergo medical underwriting. This means you must answer questions about current and previous health conditions.
Guaranteed Issue Rights
If you have guaranteed issue rights for Medigap, it means you can enroll in a policy without underwriting. You are, essentially, guaranteed a policy. There are various instances that give you guaranteed issue rights.
There are also state-specific rules regarding Medicare Supplement enrollment, such as state birthday rules, year-round open enrollment, and annual enrollment rules. You can learn more about state-specific enrollment rules by visiting our Medicare by State page.
