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Medicare Supplement Enrollment
If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending or you are losing other coverage, federal law may give you the right to buy a Medicare Supplement plan without medical underwriting. Here is exactly when those rights apply, which plans qualify, and how long your window lasts.
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Medicare guaranteed-issue rights guidance for Medicare Supplement enrollment
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When a Medicare Advantage plan is terminated or stops serving your area, you automatically return to Original Medicare (Parts A and B) on the date your plan ends. Original Medicare covers most medically necessary services, but it has no out-of-pocket maximum — you are responsible for deductibles, coinsurance, and copays that can add up quickly.
A Medicare Supplement plan fills those gaps. It pays the cost-sharing that Original Medicare leaves behind, giving you predictable out-of-pocket costs. The key question is whether you can enroll in a Supplement without going through medical underwriting — and that is where guaranteed-issue rights come in.
Guaranteed-issue (GI) rights — also called Medigap protections — are federal rights that require insurance companies to sell you a Medicare Supplement plan at standard rates without asking health questions or reviewing your medical history. The insurer cannot deny you coverage or charge you more because of a pre-existing condition.
Outside of GI situations, Medicare Supplement insurers in most states can use medical underwriting to evaluate your health and may decline your application or charge higher premiums. GI rights eliminate that risk entirely for the qualifying event window.
GI rights are triggered by specific life events — they are not available on demand. The most common triggers are losing other coverage, a plan terminating, or moving out of a plan's service area. Each trigger has its own eligibility rules and enrollment window.
Federal law defines the qualifying events that trigger GI rights. The most common situations are listed below.
If your Medicare Advantage plan is discontinued or stops serving your county, you have a GI right to enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan. This is the trigger affecting Humana members whose plans are ending January 1, 2027. You may apply up to 60 days before your coverage ends and have up to 63 days after it ends to enroll.
If you enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time and decide to switch back to Original Medicare within 12 months, you have a GI right to a Medicare Supplement plan. This is sometimes called the "trial right."
If your current Medicare Supplement company becomes insolvent or stops offering plans in your state, you have a GI right to enroll in a replacement plan with another carrier.
If you were covered under an employer or union group health plan and that coverage ends, you may have a GI right to a Medicare Supplement plan. The window is generally 63 days from the date your group coverage ends.
Your strongest GI right is the six-month Open Enrollment Period that begins the month you turn 65 and are enrolled in Medicare Part B. During this window, any Medicare Supplement insurer must accept your application at standard rates regardless of health. This window does not repeat — once it closes, you generally need a qualifying event to get GI rights again.
Under federal GI rights for most qualifying events, insurers must offer Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, and L. For people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, Plans C and F are no longer available due to MACRA restrictions — Plan G is the highest-coverage plan available to this group. Plan N is not included in the federal GI plan list for most qualifying events.
If you became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, you cannot purchase Plan C or Plan F. Plan G is the recommended high-coverage alternative. An independent broker can confirm which plans are available to you based on your Medicare eligibility date and state.
For most qualifying events, your GI window opens 60 days before your current coverage ends and closes 63 days after it ends. This means you can apply before your plan terminates and have your new Supplement coverage effective the day your old coverage ends — avoiding any gap.
The 63-day window is firm. Missing it means you lose the GI right for that event and would need to go through medical underwriting to apply for a Medicare Supplement plan (unless another qualifying event occurs).
The Open Enrollment Period at age 65 is six months and does not use the 60-days-before / 63-days-after framework — it simply runs for six calendar months from the month your Part B coverage begins.
Have your Humana notice? Call now.
Have your notice in front of you when you call. William can review what it says and confirm your GI window and plan options — at no cost.
Call The Medicare Dude — 1-800-DUDE-309 (800-383-3309)Humana is terminating a large number of Medicare Advantage plans effective January 1, 2027. Members whose plans are being discontinued have a federal GI right to enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan. The window opens 60 days before January 1, 2027 and closes 63 days after. Plan G is the applicable high-coverage plan for most affected members under the MACRA framework.
Full Humana 2027 guidanceYes — but only during a qualifying GI event or your initial Open Enrollment Period. Outside of those windows, Medicare Supplement insurers in most states can use medical underwriting and may decline your application based on health history.
Plan N is not included in the federal GI plan list for most qualifying events. The federally required GI plans are A, B, C, D, F, G, K, and L. Some states have additional protections that may include Plan N — an independent broker can confirm what is available in your state.
If you miss the 63-day window after your qualifying event, you lose the GI right for that event. You would need to apply through medical underwriting, and the insurer can decline your application or charge higher premiums based on your health. Acting promptly within the window is critical.
Federal GI rights apply in all states. Some states have additional protections — for example, Florida has a birthday rule that gives policyholders an annual window to switch Supplement plans without underwriting. An independent broker licensed in your state can explain any state-specific protections that apply to you.
No. During a GI event, the insurer must accept your application and charge you the same standard rate they charge any other applicant of the same age, sex, and tobacco status. They cannot add a surcharge for pre-existing conditions or health history.
GI rights rules are specific to your Medicare eligibility date, state, and the type of qualifying event. Have your notice in front of you when you call — William can review what it says and confirm exactly which plans you qualify for, at no cost to you.
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