You will become eligible to purchase a Medigap plan as soon as you turn sixty-five years of age and enroll in Medicare Part B.  This eligibility lasts for six months and during that time, you will not be turned down due to pre-existing conditions.  Once that six-month time frame has ended, you will not be guaranteed coverage for any Medicare supplemental insurance plans. 

Once you have one of the Medicare supplement plans, you will not be able to change to another plan easily and you will not be guaranteed an approval from any other Medigap company.  However, there are a few exceptions to this rule and it is during those times that you will thankfully be guaranteed to receive approval for one of the Medicare supplemental insurance plans.

Here are 5 exceptions that will allow you to purchase one of the Medicare supplement plans outside of your open enrollment period:

1. The insurance company that you use for your Medicare supplemental insurance plan has left your service area.
2. You have Medicare and coverage through your employer, but your employer coverage is now ending.
3. The insurance company that you use for your Medigap plan is now bankrupt.
4. You move outside the coverage area for the insurance company that your Medicare supplement plan is for.
5. The insurance company that you use has misled you in some way or they have not been compliant with the current law.

As you can see, there are not too many instances that will allow you to easily change Medigap plans and guarantee coverage.  However, if you do manage to get approval for another Medicare supplemental insurance plan, you will want to keep in mind that you may have a waiting period before you receive coverage, especially if you have pre-existing conditions.  The length of time that you will need to wait is normally six months, although some insurance companies may allow you to start receiving benefits a little sooner.

One other exception that is worth noting is switching to and from a Medicare Advantage plan.  If you need to switch to a Medicare Advantage plan, you will not receive any benefits from your Medigap plan, but you can switch back to your original plan with no restrictions as long as you do it within a year.  If your old Medicare supplemental insurance plan is no longer available when you go to switch back, you can then enroll in any Medigap Plan A, B, C, F, K, or L without worrying about needing to wait six months for coverage or being turned down.

It is necessary to be careful when you first enroll in Medicare supplement plans, so that you choose the one that will work best for you.  That doesn’t mean that you are stuck with what you choose though, especially if the service goes downhill a couple of years after you purchase the insurance.  Instead of suffering with that you have at that point, you will want to take your chances and see if there is another Medicare supplemental insurance plan that will approve your coverage.

Learn more about Medicare Supplemental Insurance plans, rates and more at http://www.emedicare-supplemental-insurance.com.  Medicare Supplemental Insurance brokers will help you compare Medicare Supplemental Insurance rates and plans.  To talk to an expert in Medicare coverage toll free 877-202-9248 today!