When am I Eligible to Purchase a Medicare Supplement Policy

You may currently be enrolled in Original Medicare, this means that you’re covered under Medicare part A and Part B. Despite having Original Medicare, you’ll find yourself in a situation requiring you to make some payments out of your pocket. These include coinsurance, deductibles, and co payments. To keep yourself free from these extra payments, you should enroll in a policy.

It’s healthcare insurance that enables you to cover costs not taken care of by Original Medicare. These plans are important since they come in handy to boost your Original Medicare coverage. These plans will pay for expenses that Original Medicare may not cover. For instance, certain plans pay for emergency health expenses abroad.

 

When am I Eligible to Purchase a Medicare Supplement Policy

You’re eligible to purchase at policy after meeting some basic required details.

They include:

• Have both Part A and Part B. Policies require that you’re first enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B to be considered
• You must be 65 years of age or older than 65.

You can purchase a policy during the six-months open registration period. This is the best time you can purchase a plan provided in your nearest state or county.

Can I purchase Medigap Policy Outside the Open Enrollment Period?

Applications that are made after the normal six-month registration period may be a bit tricky for you. No insurance company gives the assurance that they can sell you a policy outside this period. However, some situations may allow them to give you a special consideration.

They Include:

• If you’re below 65 years but still eligible for Medicare due to a disability or have the End- Stage Renal Disease
• Have an already existing condition
• If you have a guaranteed issue right
• If you have other related insurance
• If you have health complications

You may be allowed to purchase Medicare Supplement policy if you’re in any of the above special groups. If you do not fall among them, it will be difficult for you be enrolled outside the Open Enrollment Period. 

Which Important Tips Should I Consider When Purchasing a Medigap Policy?

To enroll for a coverage, you should consider these important tips:

1. When filling in the application you need to fill all required parts including medical questions. This will determine your eligibility as an applicant. This is why sometimes you want an agent to fill the forms out on your behalf, to ensure the forms are being filled out correctly
2. Check that you’re not exposed to irrelevant questions, these may include family health background
3. Use the open enrollment period to register to avoid the use of medical questions to deny you the insurance policy
4. If you prove that you have a guaranteed issue right, you’ll prevent the insurer from asking you medical questions or using them to keep you away from being approved

 What if I Have a Medicare Advantage Plan?

It’s not possible for you to have both plans at the same time. This is because the two do not function simultaneously. However, you’re allowed to move from a Medicare Advantage Plan back to Original Medicare.

Can I Switch Medigap Policies?

You may want to change your policy for cost reasons. Many of those who wish to switch their policies want to simply reduce payments.

Switching policies is only allowed under two conditions:

• When you’re within your six- month Medigap insurance open enrollment period
• If your eligibility for the policy is under special circumstances or you have a guaranteed issue
• You may also be allowed to switch policies if you have an older policy, have a pre-existing condition or in a case where you have used a policy for a period of more than six months. The policy, in this case, should have same benefits as the policy you wish to shift to.

If you have any questions about a policy please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our agents via phone, email or you can use our compare rates form to get a quote.