Medicare Supplement

Turning 65 in Florence? Your one guaranteed Medigap window

# Turning 65 in Florence? Your one guaranteed Medigap…

FLORENCE, Ala. — If you're approaching 65 in the Shoals, there's one Medicare deadline that quietly matters more than most: the six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It starts the month you're 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B, and it is the single stretch of time when a Medigap insurer in Alabama must sell you any policy it offers, at its best available rate, without asking about your health.

Miss it, and the rules change. Understanding this window before it opens can save Florence readers from an expensive surprise later.

What the six-month window actually is

Medigap — also called Medicare Supplement Insurance — is private coverage that helps pay some of the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare leaves behind, like coinsurance and hospital deductibles.

Under federal law, you get one guaranteed shot to buy a Medigap policy without answering health questions. That shot begins the first month you're both 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. It runs for six months and then closes. This is spelled out in the CMS "Choosing a Medigap Policy" guide on medicare.gov.

During those six months, an insurer selling Medigap in Alabama must:

• Sell you any Medigap policy it offers to new customers.
• Cover you for the same price as someone in good health.
• Not make you wait for coverage to start because of a pre-existing condition (a short waiting period can apply only if you had a gap in prior creditable coverage).

Why timing matters in Lauderdale County

Florence is in Lauderdale County, where Medicare beneficiaries have the same Medigap rights as anywhere else in Alabama — but the window is tied to your birthday and your Part B start date, not the calendar year.

That's different from the fall Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) that you've probably seen advertised. AEP is for Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans. Medigap has its own rules and its own one-time window.

If you delay Part B because you're still working and covered by an employer plan, your six-month Medigap window generally won't start until Part B does. That's an important detail for readers who plan to work past 65.

What changes after the window closes

Once your six months are up, Medigap insurers in Alabama can generally use medical underwriting. That means when you apply, they can:

• Ask detailed health questions.
• Charge you a higher premium based on your health history.
• Delay coverage for a pre-existing condition.
• Turn down your application entirely.

There are a few limited "guaranteed issue" situations later on — for example, if an employer plan ends or a Medicare Advantage plan leaves your area — but they are narrow and time-limited. The safest assumption is that the six-month window is your one clean shot.

Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage — a quick clarification

Medigap only works with Original Medicare (Parts A and B). You cannot use a Medigap policy to pay costs under a Medicare Advantage plan.

If you're weighing Original Medicare + Medigap + a stand-alone Part D drug plan against a Medicare Advantage plan, that decision is easiest to make before your Medigap window closes — because switching from Advantage to Medigap later may require underwriting.

For reference, in 2026 the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100, the maximum Part D deductible is $615, and the old coverage gap is gone. Those figures apply no matter which path you choose.

Steps to take before you turn 65 in Florence

1. Confirm the month your Part B coverage begins — that sets your Medigap clock. 2. Decide whether Original Medicare + Medigap or Medicare Advantage fits your situation. 3. If you want Medigap, compare policies (they're standardized by letter — Plan G, Plan N, and so on) from multiple insurers licensed in Alabama. 4. Apply within the six-month window. 5. Ask questions. The Alabama SHIP program offers free, unbiased counseling.