Medigap Insurance Plan - Open Enrollment

Medicare was created to help the elderly cope with the rising costs of health care. As the industry changed, there were more and more gaps in the coverage. A Medigap insurance plan will help pay for out-of-pocket expenses for medical care that is not covered by the original Medicare plan.

If you are at 65 years of age or older and have contributed to the Medicare system for at least ten years, you are eligible to receive benefits. Most people are automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A, premium-free. If they choose to participate in Medicare Part B, there is a monthly charge.

Enrollment in both Part A and B is a requirement for eligibility in a Medigap insurance plan. The best time to sign up for one of these plans is during the six-month open enrollment period.

It begins three months before your 65th birthday and ends three months after. State and Federal laws guarantee that you have the right to purchase the plan of your choice, regardless of pre-existing conditions and current health status. You can buy any supplemental plan sold by Medicare approved providers in your state and they cannot deny you access to the plan.

They cannot discriminate in the pricing of the policy for any reason. However, once past the open enrollment period, the provider can impose the same pre-existing condition restrictions on the Medigap insurance plan as it can on any other.

A pre-existing condition is considered a health problem for which you saw a doctor within six months before the plan goes into effect. If you are eligible for Medicare Part B before you turn 65 due to a disability or kidney failure, you will still have access to the Medigap plan of your choice during the open enrollment period when you turn 65.

You will not incur additional charges due to your health, which could reduce your costs significantly from those you have been paying. However, you may need to wait six months before you receive coverage of your pre-existing condition. Some states require a limited enrollment in a Medigap insurance plan for those who qualify early for Part B early.

Regardless of your health status, all policies are guaranteed renewable. The only reasons coverage can be lost is if you fail to pay the premiums or if the application was filled out with incorrect information. If you are covered by an employer-sponsored plan during the open enrollment period, talk with the plan administrator before making coverage changes.