When can my parent buy a Medigap policy?
Your parent gets one 6-month window when any insurer must sell them a Medigap policy. After that, health questions can mean a higher price or a no. When the window is, what opens it again, and where to check prices.
The 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period
Under federal law, your parent gets one 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It starts the first month they have Part B and are 65 or older.
During it, an insurance company must sell them any Medigap policy it sells in their state. It can't charge more because of health problems. A policy may still make them wait for coverage of a health problem they already had.
This window happens once. It does not come back each fall.
The warning: after the window, health questions
Outside this window, an insurance company can ask health questions. This is called medical underwriting. It can charge more, or it can say no.
So if your parent leaves Medigap for an Advantage plan, they may not get it back. Read Medicare Advantage or Medigap: which fits my parent? before they switch.
When federal law gives another chance
In some cases an insurance company must sell your parent a policy outside the window. These are called guaranteed issue rights. The company must cover health problems they already have and can't charge more for them. The table below lists the common cases.
In most cases your parent must apply no more than 63 days after the old coverage ends. Keep every letter, notice or claim denial that shows the coverage ended. Keep the postmarked envelope too. The insurer may ask for them.
In most of these cases the right is to buy Plan A, B, D or G. People who were eligible for Medicare before 2020 may also buy Plan C or F.
Leaving Medicare Advantage this fall?
From October 15 to December 7, 2026, your parent can leave a Medicare Advantage plan for Original Medicare. That change alone does not give a right to buy Medigap.
They may have a trial right if they joined Advantage when first eligible at 65, or dropped Medigap to try Advantage for the first time. Either way, it must be within the first year. Check before they leave the plan.
Does my parent's state give more rights?
Some states give more rights than federal law. In Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin, Medigap policies are set up in a different way. People there have these buying rights too.
If your parent is under 65 and has Medicare, federal law does not require insurers to sell them Medigap. As of March 2026, 33 states require insurers to offer at least one policy to some people under 65. The table below lists them.
Ask your State Insurance Department or a free State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor what applies in your parent's state.
Check Medigap prices near your parent
Policies with the same letter have the same benefits in most states. Only the price differs. Our full-year comparison shows Medigap prices for your parent's ZIP code next to Medicare Advantage plans.
| Your parent has a right if… | When to apply |
|---|---|
| Their Medicare Advantage plan leaves Medicare, stops serving their area, or they move out of its area, and they go to Original Medicare. | Up to 60 days before the plan coverage ends, and no more than 63 days after. |
| They have Original Medicare plus job, retiree or union coverage that pays after Medicare, and that coverage is ending. | No more than 63 days after the coverage ends (or the notice or claim denial date). |
| Trial right: they joined Medicare Advantage when first eligible for Part A at 65 and want to leave within the first year. | Up to 60 days before, and no more than 63 days after, the plan coverage ends. |
| Trial right: they dropped Medigap to join Medicare Advantage for the first time and want to leave within the first year. | Up to 60 days before, and no more than 63 days after, the plan coverage ends. |
| Their Medigap company goes bankrupt, or the policy ends through no fault of their own. | No more than 63 days after the policy ends. |
| They left a plan or policy because the company broke the rules or misled them. | No more than 63 days after the coverage ends. |
Source: Choosing a Medigap Policy (Medicare, March 2026). State law may add more rights.
| States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | California | Colorado |
| Connecticut | Delaware | Florida |
| Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho |
| Illinois | Kansas | Kentucky |
| Louisiana | Maine | Maryland |
| Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota |
| Mississippi | Missouri | Montana |
| New Hampshire | New Jersey | New York |
| North Carolina | Oklahoma | Oregon |
| Pennsylvania | South Dakota | Tennessee |
| Texas | Vermont | Wisconsin |
Some states cover everyone under 65 with Medicare. Others cover only people with a disability or end-stage kidney disease. Ask your State Insurance Department.
Checklist
- Find the month your parent's Part B started and the month they turned 65.
- Count 6 months from the later of the two. That is their Medigap window.
- Before leaving Medigap or a Medicare Advantage plan, check if they can buy Medigap later.
- Keep every letter that shows other coverage is ending, with the envelope.
- Compare prices for the same plan letter from several insurers.
- Ask your State Insurance Department or SHIP about extra state rights.
Common questions
Can my parent buy Medigap during fall Open Enrollment?
They can apply, but fall Open Enrollment does not give a right to buy Medigap. After the 6-month window, an insurer can ask health questions and say no. That changes only if a special right or a state rule applies.
Can my parent be turned down for Medigap?
Not during their 6-month Medigap window. After it, an insurance company can ask health questions and say no. That changes if a guaranteed issue right or a state rule applies.
How long does my parent have to apply after losing other coverage?
In most guaranteed issue cases, no more than 63 days after the old coverage ends. Keep the letters and envelopes that show the date.
Can someone under 65 buy Medigap?
Federal law does not require it, but some states do. Ask your State Insurance Department what applies.
Do you know what to do next?
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
About this page
- Written by
- The PlanScout team. Updated Oct 26, 2026.
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Sources (4)
- Medicare.gov — Get ready to buy Medigap (retrieved Oct 26, 2026)
- Medicare.gov — Change Medigap policies (retrieved Oct 26, 2026)
- Medicare.gov — Choosing a Medigap Policy (March 2026, PDF) (retrieved Oct 26, 2026)
- NAIC — Find your State Insurance Department
This guide is general information, not medical, legal, or financial advice. Confirm details with the provider, your plan, or a licensed professional.