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A BIRTHDAY RULE that allows you to change plans during a specified time around your birthday is law in several states. In Oregon, you have 30 days after your birthday each year to switch to

another Medigap plan with equal or lesser benefits. In California, you have 60 days after your birthday every year to do so. As of Jan. 1, 2024, Kentucky residents will have up to 60 days

after their birthday to switch to the same Medigap plan with a different insurer regardless of preexisting conditions. As of July 1, 2023, Marylanders can switch to another Medigap policy

with equal or lesser benefits within 30 days after their birthday each year. ILLINOIS RESIDENTS AGES 65 TO 75 can switch to another policy with the same insurer with equal or lesser

benefits for up to 45 days after their birthday, a change that took effect in 2022. IN MISSOURI, you have up to 30 days before and 30 days after the anniversary of the date you purchased

your policy to switch to the same letter plan with a different insurer. In most states, insurance companies aren’t required by law to issue Medigap policies to people with preexisting

conditions. However, some insurers, such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield in Illinois, offer some guaranteed issue plans. Tricia Neuman, executive director of the program on Medicare policy at

KFF (formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation), recently saw differences in state rules firsthand when helping two friends shop for Medigap policies.  One friend, in Pennsylvania, already had a

Medigap policy and wanted to switch to another plan with fewer benefits to save money. If she didn’t have any health problems, the new plan each month would cost $100 less than her current

plan. But because she lives in a state that allows insurers to charge more for preexisting conditions and she uses an inhaler for a lung condition, the insurer wanted to charge $100 more

than her current plan.  The experience was very different for Neuman’s friend in New York. “That same company allowed a 90-year-old I know to switch plans for a lower premium,” Neuman says.

She didn’t have to answer any questions about her health. To learn about your state’s rules, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program. Most state insurance departments have

Medigap buyers’ guides that explain the rules and may even list premiums for each insurer. Keep in mind that many of these rules apply only to people who are 65 and older. If you’re younger

than 65 and have Medicare because of a disability, you may have a more difficult time qualifying for coverage. The pre-65 Medigap rules vary significantly by state. 3. SHOP FOR AN INSURER

THAT WILL COVER YOUR MEDICAL CONDITION When you apply for a Medigap policy and don’t have a guaranteed issue right, you’ll usually have to answer questions about your health. Steve Jones,

president of Cigna supplemental benefits, says insurers typically don’t ask to see your medical records, but they usually ask about your prescription medications. “Insurers may ask if a

doctor treated you, gave you medical advice or prescribed any medications for certain conditions in the last two years,” says CEO Joanne Giardini-Russell of Giardini Medicare, an independent

insurance agency in Howell, Michigan.