One of the most frequently asked questions by seniors who have a Medigap (Medicare supplement) plan and are considering changing to another Medigap plan is “What about pre-existing conditions when I change my plan to the one that you’re recommending?”

The first thing you should be aware of is that you don’t have to wait a certain amount of time to switch from one Medigap plan to another.  You also have a 30-day “free-look” period to decide if you want to keep the new Medigap plan.

If you have had your old Medigap plan for less than 6 months, the new carrier may be able to make you wait up to 6 months before covering a pre-existing condition – this figure depends on how long you’ve had the other plan (e.g. if you’ve only had it for 4 months, the carrier can choose not to cover your pre-existing condition for up to 2 months).  However, if your old plan had the same benefits as the new plan (e.g. replacing a plan F with another plan F to reduce your costs) and you had it for 6 months or more, they cannot exclude your pre-existing condition.

In summary, the pre-existing condition waiting periods only applys IF you have not had your existing policy for at least 6 months.  If you’ve had it for 6 months or longer, they cannot make you wait on coverage for pre-existing conditions – those conditions would be covered from day 1 of the new plan.

 

So why would you want to switch your Medigap plan?  

The most common reason is your current Medigap plan has the benefits you want, but you want to find a Medigap plan that will offer that same coverage at a lower price (remember – medigap plans are standardized!)

A couple of other reasons most seniors want to switch Medigap plans is they don’t feel they need all of the benefits under their existing plan and want to switch to another plan that features fewer benefits and a much lower premium or they feel they need more benefits than what their existing Medigap plan offers.

 

Switching Medigap plans is a very easy transition to complete and we would be happy to help you accomplish your goal and put money back in your pocket!

 

Call us today at 1-888-972-0024 or click here to e-mail us to learn more.