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Plan Exit Rescue CenterHelp for people whose Medicare plan is ending

Can I switch to a Medicare Supplement if my Advantage plan is cancelled?

In most cases yes — when your Medicare Advantage plan leaves Medicare, CMS says you have a guaranteed-issue right to buy specified Medigap policies within no more than 63 days, and the insurer cannot deny you or charge you more because of a pre-existing condition.

This is the right almost nobody is told about, and it expires.

What CMS states

In Choosing a Medigap Policy, CMS explains that when your Medicare Advantage plan leaves Medicare, you have a guaranteed-issue right to buy certain Medigap policies. Under a guaranteed-issue right, the Medigap insurer must sell you a policy, must cover all your pre-existing conditions, and cannot charge you more because of a past or present health problem.

The clock

CMS describes the window as ending no later than 63 days after your coverage ends. Applying early — as soon as your notice arrives — is the safest way to avoid missing it.

What a Medigap does and does not do

  • It pays your share of costs under Original Medicare; it is not a Medicare Advantage plan.
  • It does not include prescription drug coverage. Medicare reminds people that when a plan leaves Medicare, they must join a Medicare drug plan to keep drug coverage.

Before you sign anything

Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program gives free, unbiased, one-on-one counseling and can confirm which Medigap plans are guaranteed-issue for you in your state.