Medicare Supplement

Salem at 65: the Medigap window that opens once, then quietly changes the rules

SALEM, Ore. — For people turning 65 here in Marion County, one Medicare deadline gets far less attention than the fall Annual Enrollment Period — but it may matter more over a lifetime. It is called the Medigap Open Enrollment Period, and it lasts exactly six months. Miss it, and the rules for buying a Medicare Supplement policy change in ways that can follow you for decades.

Medicare SupplementSalem, OR

What the six-month window actually is

The Medigap Open Enrollment Period begins the first day of the month you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. It runs for six months, and it does not repeat. If you turn 65 in March and your Part B starts March 1, your window runs March through August.

During those six months, you have what Medicare calls a "guaranteed issue" right for Medigap. Insurance companies selling Medigap policies in Oregon cannot deny you coverage, cannot make you wait for pre-existing conditions to be covered (in most cases), and cannot charge you more because of your health.

That combination — guaranteed acceptance and standard pricing — is unique to this one window.

Why this window is different from the fall enrollment period

It is easy to confuse Medigap with the Medicare Advantage and Part D changes people make each fall. They are not the same.

The Annual Enrollment Period from October 15 to December 7, and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31, are for Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans. Those plans must accept you regardless of health, every year.

Medigap works differently. It is sold by private insurers to work alongside Original Medicare, and outside your one-time six-month window, federal law does not require insurers to sell you a policy at all. A handful of states have added their own protections, but Oregon largely follows the federal rules.

What changes after the six months close

Once your Medigap Open Enrollment Period ends, insurers in most situations can use medical underwriting. That means they can:

• Ask detailed questions about your health history.
• Charge a higher premium based on your health.
• Delay coverage for pre-existing conditions.
• Decline to sell you a policy at all.

There are limited "guaranteed issue" situations later on — for example, if an employer plan ends or a Medicare Advantage plan leaves your service area — but those protections are narrower than the one you get at 65. You cannot count on them.

This is why the six-month window matters so much. It is the one time you can shop Medigap policies purely on price and features, without worrying about being turned away.

How to use the window well in Salem

You do not have to buy a Medigap policy the first week you are eligible, but you should plan ahead. A few practical steps:

• Confirm your Part B start date. Your Medigap window is tied to it.
• Learn the standardized Medigap plan letters (like A, G and N). Every insurer offering a given letter must cover the same basic benefits, so you can compare them side by side.
• Get quotes from more than one insurer. Prices for the same lettered plan can vary.
• Decide whether Original Medicare plus Medigap or a Medicare Advantage plan fits your situation. You generally cannot have both.

Salem is in Marion County, where residents also have Medicare Advantage plans available through several carriers. Choosing between paths — Original Medicare with a Medigap policy and a stand-alone Part D drug plan, versus a Medicare Advantage plan — is a personal decision. A local counselor can walk you through it at no cost.

Other 2026 numbers worth knowing

Even if you go the Medigap route, you will likely still want Part D drug coverage. For 2026, Medicare has set the Part D out-of-pocket cap at $2,100 and the maximum Part D deductible at $615. The old coverage gap, or "donut hole," was eliminated in 2025, so drug coverage now has three phases. Medicare also offers an optional Medicare Prescription Payment Plan that lets you spread drug costs over the year in monthly amounts.

Higher earners should also know that IRMAA surcharges — extra amounts added to Part B and Part D premiums — begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.