Open Enrollment (SCRAP)
Medicare Open Enrollment
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):
“The best time to buy a Medigap policy is during the 6-month period that begins on the first day of the month in which you are both age 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. (Some states have additional open enrollment periods.) After this initial enrollment period, your option to buy a Medigap policy may be limited.”
The reason CMS said this period is “the best time” is that this is the one time in your life that you know you can buy any company’s Medigap (or Medicare Supplement) policy on a guaranteed-issue guaranteed-issue basis. During this one time in your life, you can purchase ANY of the various plans with absolutely no heath conditions to disqualify you from coverage. When this Medicare open enrollment period ends and for the rest of your life, you could have to answer health questions to see if you qualify for coverage, and your health conditions could cause you to be declined for most companies’ plans.