Medicare Supplement

Before Part B starts in Bryan: the 6-month Medigap rule

In Bryan, turning 65 comes with a quiet deadline that many people only learn about after it has passed. It's the Medigap Open Enrollment Period — a six-month window that begins the month you are 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B. During those six months, you have rights to buy a Medigap policy that you may never have again.

What the Medigap Open Enrollment Period actually is

Medigap, also called Medicare Supplement Insurance, is a private policy that helps pay some of the out-of-pocket costs Original Medicare leaves behind — things like coinsurance and hospital deductibles. It only works with Original Medicare (Parts A and B), not with a Medicare Advantage plan.

The Medigap Open Enrollment Period is federal. It lasts six months, and it starts the first month you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. You get it once. It does not repeat every year like the fall Annual Enrollment Period for Medicare Advantage and Part D.

Why this window is called "guaranteed"

Inside those six months, you have what Medicare calls guaranteed issue rights. That means:

• An insurance company selling Medigap in Texas cannot refuse to sell you a policy it offers.
• It cannot make you wait for coverage to start because of a health problem (though a pre-existing condition waiting period can sometimes apply if you did not have prior creditable coverage).
• It cannot charge you a higher premium because of your health history.

Outside this window, those protections narrow sharply. That is the piece Bryan readers most often miss.

What changes after the six months close

Once your Medigap Open Enrollment Period ends, insurance companies in Texas can generally use medical underwriting when you apply. Underwriting means the carrier looks at your health, medications, and history before deciding whether to sell you a policy and at what price. They can:

• Turn down your application.
• Charge you a higher premium.
• Apply a waiting period for pre-existing conditions.

There are a few limited "guaranteed issue" situations later in life — for example, if certain employer coverage ends or a Medicare Advantage plan leaves your area — but those are narrow exceptions, not a second open enrollment. This is why the initial six months carry so much weight.

How this fits with other Medicare choices in Brazos County

Bryan is in Brazos County, where residents choose between two broad paths at 65: stay with Original Medicare (often paired with a Medigap policy and a stand-alone Part D drug plan), or enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that bundles hospital, medical, and usually drug coverage.

If you pick Medicare Advantage first and later want to switch back to Original Medicare with a Medigap policy, you may be subject to underwriting depending on when and why you switch. That is one reason the initial Medigap window matters even for people leaning toward Advantage — it is your cleanest shot at Medigap if you ever want it.

Program-level rules to keep in mind for 2026:

• Part D has a $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") is gone; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly amounts.
• IRMAA income surcharges begin above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.
• The fall Annual Enrollment Period runs Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs Jan. 1 – March 31.

Common mistakes to avoid in Bryan

• Waiting until after Part B starts to shop. Your six months are already running. Start comparing Medigap options before your Part B effective date if you can.
• Assuming you can switch Medigap anytime. You often can apply anytime, but carriers can underwrite you after your window closes.
• Confusing Medigap with Medicare Advantage. They are different products with different rules and different enrollment periods.
• Delaying Part B without creditable coverage. If you delay Part B, you also delay the start of your Medigap window — and you may face a Part B late enrollment penalty.

Where to get trustworthy help

Medigap decisions are personal. Before you sign anything, use free, unbiased resources:

• medicare.gov — official plan finder and Medigap policy search.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24/7 help from Medicare.
• Texas SHIP (HICAP) — free, one-on-one Medicare counseling for Texans, including Brazos County residents.