The Medigap open enrollment period is a one-time, federally protected 6-month window when insurers must sell you any Medicare Supplement plan they offer, regardless of your health. It’s separate from the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, which lasts from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year and covers Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans. Once your Medigap window closes, the right to buy coverage without health screening ends outside Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York.
Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment: 2026 Dates & Rules
Updated: October 17, 2026
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Key Takeaways
The Medicare Supplement open enrollment period lasts 6 months and opens the first month you’re both 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B.
During open enrollment, insurers must sell you any Medigap plan they offer and can’t deny you or charge more because of your health.
After the 6-month window closes, insurers can deny you coverage or charge higher premiums based on your health history, except in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York.
Guaranteed issue rights let you buy Medigap after specific coverage losses, but they cover fewer plans than open enrollment and leave out Plan N.
What Is the Medigap Open Enrollment Period?
Who Qualifies for Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment?
Medigap open enrollment opens automatically the first month you’re both 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B, and you don’t need to apply for it. Your Part B start date sets the timing, so the window can open later than your 65th birthday. Three groups get this window.
- Adults turning 65 who enroll in Part B for the first time.
- Adults who delayed Part B because they had employer coverage from their own or a spouse’s current job. Their window opens when Part B starts.
- Adults under 65 on Medicare because of a disability. Their federal window opens when they turn 65. Before then, federal law doesn’t require insurers to sell them Medigap, though some states do.
When Medigap Open Enrollment Starts and How Long It Lasts
Your Medigap open enrollment period begins on the first day of the first month you’re 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B, and it lasts exactly 6 months. Each beneficiary has a personal window tied to the Part B start date. Beneficiaries who delay Part B because they have employer coverage from a current job start their Medigap window when Part B begins, which can be years after their 65th birthday.
During those 6 months, no insurer can reject your application or charge more because of your health. Every insurer has to accept you, so you can compare the best Medicare Supplement plans in your state on premium, pricing method and the insurer’s financial stability. The one limit is a waiting period of up to 6 months for pre-existing conditions, which prior health coverage can shorten or cancel.
What Medigap Open Enrollment Guarantees
Medigap open enrollment gives you four rights for the full 6 months. Insurers can’t use medical underwriting, can’t deny you or charge more for a pre-existing condition, must sell you any plan letter they offer and must accept you whichever insurer you pick. These rights end when the window closes, except in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York. A qualifying life event can trigger a guaranteed issue right later, which is a federal protection that requires insurers to accept you regardless of health, but it covers fewer plan letters.
No Medical UnderwritingMedical underwriting is the process insurers use to review your health history and decide whether to sell you a policy and at what price. During Medigap open enrollment, an insurer can’t use your health history to deny your application or set your premium. Outside this window, underwriting can result in a higher premium or a denial.
- Pre-Existing Conditions Can’t Block Coverage
During Medigap open enrollment, an insurer can’t turn you down or charge more because of a pre-existing condition, which Medigap rules define as any condition diagnosed or treated in the 6 months before your coverage starts. The insurer can make you wait up to 6 months before it pays costs tied to that condition. The wait disappears if you had at least 6 months of continuous creditable coverage, such as an employer or individual health plan, right before Medigap starts. Shorter coverage cuts the wait month for month, so 2 months of prior coverage means a 4-month wait. Medigap isn’t bound by the Affordable Care Act’s ban on pre-existing condition exclusions.
Access to Any Plan Letter the Insurer SellsDuring Medigap open enrollment, you can buy any plan letter an insurer sells in your state, and your health can’t block any of them. Medigap comes in 10 federally standardized plans (A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M and N), and plans with the same letter cover the same costs at every insurer. Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin standardize their plans differently. Plan F is open only to people eligible for Medicare before Jan. 1, 2020. Anyone new to Medicare on or after that date can buy Plan G, which matches Plan F except that it doesn’t pay the Part B deductible of $283 in 2026.
Choice of Any Insurer in Your StateDuring Medigap open enrollment, you can compare Medicare Supplement plan costs across every insurer selling Medigap in your state and buy from any of them, because none can turn you away over your health. CMS says premiums for the same coverage can differ widely between insurers, so compare both the premium and the pricing method for the same plan letter. Outside open enrollment, an insurer first decides whether to accept you, and price comes second.
What Happens After the Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period
After your 6-month Medigap window closes, federal law no longer requires insurers to sell you a Medigap plan. Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York require insurers to accept any Medicare enrollee at any time, regardless of health. Maine guarantees any applicant Plan A for one month a year, and Washington lets current Medigap holders switch plans at any time. In the other states, the insurer decides whether to accept your application and what to charge.
Healthy beneficiary who missed the window | The insurer can review your health history before deciding whether to accept you and what to charge. | Request quotes from several insurers, since each one prices and accepts applicants differently. |
Beneficiary with a chronic condition who missed the window | The insurer can deny the application, charge more or delay coverage of that condition for up to 6 months. | If Medigap is out of reach, Medicare Advantage is an option. You can switch from Original Medicare during the fall Medicare Open Enrollment Period, Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. |
Beneficiary in Connecticut, Massachusetts or New York | State law lets you buy Medigap at any time regardless of health. Connecticut and New York insurers can still delay coverage of a pre-existing condition for up to 6 months. | Confirm current rules with your state insurance department before you apply. |
Beneficiary with a federal guaranteed issue right (for example, losing employer coverage that paid after Medicare, or a Medicare Advantage plan leaving your area) | Federal law requires insurers to sell you certain Medigap plans regardless of health for a limited window. | Apply as soon as you learn your coverage is ending. You have at least 63 days after coverage ends to apply. |
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and state insurance departments. State rules change, so confirm current rules with your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor or state insurance department.
If you already have Medicare Advantage and are thinking about switching from Medicare Advantage to Medigap, a guaranteed issue right applies only in specific cases, such as leaving within your first year or your plan leaving your area.
When You Can Get Medigap Outside Open Enrollment
Federal guaranteed issue rights require insurers to sell you certain Medigap plans after specific coverage losses, regardless of your health, and the insurer can’t make you wait to cover a pre-existing condition. Plan choices are narrower than during open enrollment. If you’re new to Medicare on or after Jan. 1, 2020, you can choose Plan A, B, D, G, K or L, including high-deductible Plan G. If you were eligible earlier, the choices are Plan A, B, C, F, K or L, including high-deductible Plan F. Plans M and N aren’t included. You have at least 63 days after your old coverage ends to apply. When Medicare Advantage or Medicare SELECT coverage is ending, you can apply up to 60 days early. Medicare SELECT is a Medigap policy that can require you to use network hospitals and sometimes network doctors.
Employer or union coverage ends | Beneficiaries whose employer, retiree, COBRA or union plan pays after Medicare. People with COBRA can buy Medigap right away or wait until COBRA ends. | No later than 63 days after the latest of three dates, which are the coverage end date, the date on the notice that coverage is ending and the date of a claim denial |
Your Medicare Advantage plan exits Medicare or your area, or you move out of its service area | Beneficiaries in a Medicare Advantage plan | From 60 days before to 63 days after coverage ends |
First-year trial right after joining Medicare Advantage at 65 | Beneficiaries who joined Medicare Advantage or PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) when first eligible for Part A at 65 and leave within the first year. They can buy any Medigap plan sold in their state. | From 60 days before to 63 days after coverage ends |
First-year trial right after dropping Medigap | Beneficiaries who dropped Medigap to join Medicare Advantage or Medicare SELECT for the first time and leave within the first year. They can get their old policy back if the same insurer still sells it. | From 60 days before to 63 days after coverage ends |
Move out of a Medicare SELECT service area | Beneficiaries with a Medicare SELECT policy | From 60 days before to 63 days after coverage ends |
Medigap insurer goes bankrupt or your coverage ends through no fault of yours | Current Medigap policyholders | No later than 63 days after coverage ends |
Insurer broke the rules or misled you | Beneficiaries who left Medicare Advantage or dropped Medigap for that reason | No later than 63 days after coverage ends |
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and 42 U.S. Code §1395ss. These federal rights apply in every state. Some states add their own triggers, such as Maine’s 90-day window after losing MaineCare.
DOES YOUR STATE OFFER ADDITIONAL MEDIGAP PROTECTIONS?
California, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Virginia and Wyoming have birthday rules that give current Medigap holders a yearly window around their birthday to switch plans without medical underwriting. The window lasts 30 to 63 days depending on the state, and Oregon’s opens 30 days before your birthday. California, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, Oklahoma and Oregon limit you to a plan with the same or fewer benefits, and Kentucky allows only the same plan letter. Illinois and Louisiana apply the same-or-fewer-benefits limit and require you to stay with your current insurer or an affiliate, and Illinois’ rule covers ages 65 to 75. Missouri ties its yearly switching window to your policy’s anniversary date and allows a switch only to the same plan letter, from any insurer.
Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York let anyone with Medicare buy Medigap at any time without health screening, though Connecticut and New York insurers can delay coverage of a pre-existing condition for up to 6 months. Maine requires each insurer to accept any applicant into Plan A during one month a year that the insurer chooses. Current Maine policyholders can switch to a plan with equal or fewer benefits at any time if they haven’t gone more than 90 days without coverage. Washington lets current Medigap holders switch at any time without a health questionnaire, within Plans B through N or from Plan A to another Plan A. New buyers in Washington can be screened.
State rules change, so confirm current protections with your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor before you rely on any state-level right.
How to Sign Up for a Medigap Plan During Your Open Enrollment Period
This process applies to anyone within their 6-month Medigap open enrollment window. Part B enrollment must be active or have a confirmed start date before you begin.
- 1Confirm Your Part B Enrollment Start Date
Your Medigap open enrollment period begins on the first day of the first month you’re both 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. If you’re still waiting for your Medicare card, the Part B effective date on your enrollment notice sets the start of the window. Don’t wait for coverage to begin before you apply.
- 2Choose the Plan Letter That Matches Your Coverage Needs
Plan G covers more of Original Medicare’s cost-sharing than any other plan sold to people new to Medicare on or after Jan. 1, 2020. It pays all of that cost-sharing except the Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026. Plan N has lower premiums, but you pay up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that don’t end in a hospital admission. Plan F is open only to people eligible for Medicare before Jan. 1, 2020, because federal law bars new enrollees from buying plans that pay the Part B deductible.
- 3Compare Premiums Across Insurers in Your State
Medigap plans are standardized, so Plan G from one insurer covers the same costs as Plan G from another. What changes from one insurer to the next is the premium, the pricing method and the insurer’s financial stability. Review Medicare Supplement plan costs by insurer and request quotes from at least three insurers before you apply.
- 4Apply Directly With the Insurer
Submit your application online, by phone or through a licensed Medicare insurance agent. The insurer can’t decline your application or charge more because of your health during Medigap open enrollment. Keep a copy of your application and note the date you submitted it.
- 5Confirm Your Coverage Start Date and First Premium Due
Apply before your Part B start date if you want Medigap to begin the same day as Part B. If you apply later, the insurer sets your start date, so get it in writing along with your first premium due date. Pay that first premium on time to keep the policy from lapsing.
How Long Do You Have to Apply During Open Enrollment?
Your 6-month Medigap window lasts from the first day of the first month you’re 65 or older and enrolled in Part B through the last day of the sixth month. If you’re 65 and your Part B begins March 1, your window closes Aug. 31. Federal law protects any application you submit before or during the window, even if the insurer takes longer to process and issue the policy.
Do You Pay Both Medicare and Medigap Premiums?
You pay both premiums. The Medicare Part B premium goes to Medicare, and in 2026 the standard amount is $203 a month. Your Medigap premium goes to the private insurer that sells your policy, and the price for identical coverage differs widely by insurer. In New York’s Albany region, 2026 Plan G premiums range from $305 to $667 a month depending on the insurer, a difference of more than $4,300 a year. New York uses community rating, so those prices apply at every age. Compare quotes for the same plan letter before your window closes.
How Medigap Pricing Methods Affect Your Long-Term Cost
Insurers price Medigap in three ways, and state law determines which methods are allowed where you live. Community-rated plans charge every enrollee the same premium regardless of age. Issue-age plans lock your premium to your age when you buy. Attained-age plans base the premium on your current age, so it climbs every year. CMS says attained-age plans can be the least expensive at first and become the most expensive later, so weigh the pricing method alongside today’s premium.
Community rating | Every enrollee pays the same premium regardless of age. | Premiums don’t rise because of age. Inflation and insurer rate increases still raise them. |
Issue-age rating | Your premium is set by your age when you buy. | Premiums don’t rise because of age. Inflation and insurer rate increases still raise them. |
Attained-age rating | Your premium is based on your current age, so it goes up as you get older. | This method carries the highest long-term cost risk. The lowest price at 65 can become the most expensive option later, which strains a fixed income. |
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Washington require community rating, so premiums in those states don’t rise with age. Washington lets insurers set a separate rate for people on Medicare because of a disability. Confirm the methods allowed in your state with your state insurance department or SHIP counselor.
Pricing method also explains why the best Medicare Supplement insurers don’t always have the lowest premium at 65. A community-rated plan that costs more at 65 can cost less than an attained-age plan by 80, so compare what each plan would cost over time before you buy.
Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment: Bottom Line
Your Medigap open enrollment window is the one time federal law guarantees you can buy any Medicare Supplement plan without being denied or charged more for your health. Plan G covers the most Original Medicare cost-sharing for anyone new to Medicare on or after Jan. 1, 2020. Check each insurer’s pricing method before you buy, because an attained-age plan that’s cheap at 65 can become costly by 80. Outside Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York, insurers can turn you down after the window closes unless a guaranteed issue right applies.
My recommendation is to collect quotes before your window opens and apply within its first month. Premiums for the same plan letter differ widely across insurers, and an early comparison leaves the rest of the window as a cushion if your application is delayed.
Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment: FAQ
Medigap open enrollment is a separate, one-time window. The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period lasts from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year and lets you switch Medicare Advantage plans or add prescription drug coverage. Your Medigap window opens the first month you’re both 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B, which covers doctors and outpatient care, and it doesn’t repeat each year. If you got Medicare before 65 because of a disability, your 6-month window opens when you turn 65.
Insurers can decline your application or charge more based on your health once the window closes, with three exceptions. A guaranteed issue right after a qualifying event, such as losing employer coverage that paid after Medicare, gives you at least 63 days to buy certain plans regardless of health. Birthday rule states let current Medigap holders switch plans during a yearly window around their birthday. Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York let anyone with Medicare buy Medigap at any time.
You can switch, but outside open enrollment an insurer can review your medical history, a process called underwriting, before deciding whether to accept you. Birthday rule states give current policyholders a yearly window around their birthday to switch without that review. A guaranteed issue right, such as the one triggered when your Medigap insurer goes bankrupt, also requires insurers to accept you for at least 63 days after coverage ends.
A guaranteed issue right gives you the most protection, because the insurer must accept you and can’t make you wait to cover your condition. Qualifying events such as your Medicare Advantage plan leaving your area trigger that right. Your 6-month Medigap open enrollment period also blocks denial, but the insurer can delay coverage of a pre-existing condition for up to 6 months unless you had 6 months of continuous creditable coverage beforehand. Outside both windows, an insurer can deny you, charge more or impose that wait.
Only Medicare Supplement plans fall under Medigap open enrollment. Medicare Advantage, the private plans that replace Original Medicare, has its own enrollment calendar, with the main window from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year. If you’re weighing Medigap against Medicare Advantage, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor can walk you through both at no cost.
Medicare Advantage enrollees can buy Medigap later, but insurers can review your health before accepting you unless a guaranteed issue right applies. Two trial rights cover your first year in Medicare Advantage. If you joined at 65 when you first got Part A, you can buy any Medigap plan sold in your state. If you dropped a Medigap policy to try Medicare Advantage for the first time, you can get that policy back if the insurer still sells it. A guaranteed issue right also applies if your plan exits Medicare or your area, or if it misled you.
Plan G is the right choice for new enrollees who want the most complete coverage, because it covers more Original Medicare cost-sharing than any other plan sold to people new to Medicare on or after Jan. 1, 2020. It pays all of that cost-sharing except the Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026. Plan N costs less per month, but you pay up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that don’t end in a hospital admission. Plan N also doesn’t cover Part B excess charges, which are the extra amount some doctors can bill above Medicare’s approved rate. Plan N saves money if you rarely need care.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick is a licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer and MoneyGeek's resident expert in insurance and economics. In nearly a decade covering the insurance market at LendingTree and MoneyGeek, he's analyzed hundreds of carriers and millions of rates across auto, home, renters, health and life insurance.
His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR. He draws on independent cost and consumer experience data, and no insurance company partnerships affect his recommendations.
Mark studied at Boston College and later earned a master's in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University. He worked in financial risk management at State Street before joining MoneyGeek. He's also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.
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