Medicare Supplement

Can I Change My Medigap Policy After Age 65?

# Can You Switch Medigap in North Myrtle Beach? It Depends on…

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — If you have a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy and you've been wondering whether you can change to a different one, the honest answer is: sometimes yes, sometimes with strings attached. Unlike Medicare Advantage or Part D drug plans, Medigap does not have an annual window when everyone can freely switch. Instead, your ability to change policies — and whether an insurer can ask about your health — depends on federal rules, and in some places, extra state rules layered on top.

Here's what North Myrtle Beach residents in Horry County should understand before making a move.

The starting point: your one guaranteed window

When you first enroll in Medicare Part B at age 65 or older, you get a 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period. During this one-time window, you can buy any Medigap policy sold in your state, and the insurer cannot turn you down or charge you more because of your health. This is the strongest protection you'll ever have to shop Medigap.

Once that 6-month window closes, the rules change. If you want to switch policies later, the insurer can generally ask health questions — this is called medical underwriting — and can decide whether to offer you coverage and at what price.

What medical underwriting really means

Medical underwriting is not a formality. Insurers may ask about medications, past diagnoses, and treatments. Based on that information, they may accept your application, charge a higher premium, or decline it.

That's why many people who are happy enough with their current Medigap stay put — not because switching is forbidden, but because they might not qualify for a new policy on favorable terms. If you're in good health and shopping around, underwriting may be less of a barrier. If you have chronic conditions, it's worth checking with a licensed advisor or your SHIP before you apply, so you don't drop a policy you can't get back.

Federal guaranteed-issue rights

Federal law protects you in certain situations, called guaranteed-issue rights (also known as Medigap protections). When one of these applies, insurers must sell you certain Medigap policies, cover pre-existing conditions, and cannot charge you more because of your health.

Common federal guaranteed-issue situations include:

• Your Medicare Advantage plan leaves Medicare or stops serving your area, or you move outside its service area.
• You're in the 12-month "trial right" period after first joining a Medicare Advantage plan at 65, and you want to return to Original Medicare with a Medigap policy.
• Your employer or union group health coverage that pays after Medicare ends.
• Your Medigap insurance company goes bankrupt or your coverage ends through no fault of your own.
• The company misled you or didn't follow the rules.

Each situation has its own tight deadline — often 63 days — so if you think one applies, act quickly. The full list is on medicare.gov under Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap).

State rules you should ask about

A handful of states have added their own protections that go beyond the federal rules. These commonly include:

• A birthday rule, letting you switch to an equal or lesser Medigap policy each year within a window around your birthday, without medical underwriting.
• An anniversary rule, tied to the date your current policy started.
• Continuous or year-round open enrollment, where insurers must accept applicants regardless of health.

Whether any of these apply in South Carolina — and how they work — is exactly the kind of question to confirm with an official source before you rely on it. Call South Carolina SHIIP (the state's SHIP program) at 1-800-868-9095, or contact the South Carolina Department of Insurance. Rules change, and getting it wrong could mean giving up coverage you can't easily replace.

A practical checklist before you switch

Before you drop a Medigap policy and pick up a new one:

1. Confirm whether any federal guaranteed-issue right applies to your situation. 2. Ask your SHIP whether state rules give you a no-underwriting window. 3. If neither applies, ask the new insurer up front whether they'll require underwriting. 4. Don't cancel your current policy until the new one is approved and in force. Most states allow a 30-day "free look" period so you can compare. 5. Remember Medigap only works with Original Medicare — not Medicare Advantage.

North Myrtle Beach is in Horry County, and while Medigap policies are regulated at the state level (not the county level like Advantage plans), the same statewide rules apply whether you live in North Myrtle Beach, Conway, or elsewhere in South Carolina.