During your Medigap open enrollment
Your Medigap open enrollment lasts 6 months, starting the first month you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. Under OAC 3901-8-08(N), a company can't deny or condition a policy, or price it higher, because of your health status, claims history, medical condition or tobacco use. It must offer you every policy it sells in Ohio.
A company may still apply a short waiting period for pre-existing conditions in some cases:
- It can only exclude a condition you were treated for or diagnosed with in the 6 months before the policy starts.
- The wait can't be longer than 6 months.
- If you've had at least 6 months of continuous creditable coverage when you apply, there is no wait. With less, the wait is shortened by the months of coverage you had.
Medicare's guide notes that Part A or Part B counts as creditable coverage, so someone who had Medicare for more than 6 months before 65 may have no waiting period.
With a guaranteed-issue right
In the situations listed in OAC 3901-8-08(O), a company can't deny you, charge more for your health or exclude pre-existing conditions at all. Common examples:
- Your Medicare Advantage plan leaves Medicare or stops serving your area, including plans ending for 2027 (see plans ending in 2027).
- Employer, union or retiree coverage that supplements Medicare ends.
- You leave a Medicare Advantage plan within 12 months under a trial right.
Apply within 63 days after the coverage ends and include the letter showing your end date.
At other times
Outside those windows, an Ohio Medigap company can ask about your health, set your price based on it or decline you. Ohio has no birthday or yearly switching rule; a bill (HB 24) would add one, but it is not law. If you have serious health conditions and already have Medigap, think carefully before dropping it.
If you have health conditions
- Use your open enrollment. Buy within the 6 months after your Part B starts.
- Save proof of coverage. Keep letters showing when other coverage ended.
- Don't cancel existing coverage early. Wait until a new policy is approved.
To compare Medigap policies from the companies they work with, you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent. See Medigap in Ohio.
Related questions
When can I buy Medigap in Ohio?
Every window, in one place.
Can I get Medigap under 65 in Ohio?
Disability and ESRD.
Do I get guaranteed Medigap if my plan leaves Ohio?
When a plan ends.
Sources
- Ohio Administrative Code 3901-8-08, Medicare supplement, paragraphs (N) and (O)
- CMS — Choosing a Medigap Policy (pre-existing conditions and creditable coverage)
- Medicare.gov — When can I buy a Medigap policy?
- Social Security Act § 1882, Medicare supplemental policies
More questions in this guide
- Are Medigap rates in Ohio based on age?
- Can I get Medigap under 65 in Ohio?
- Can I switch Medigap plans in Ohio?
- Does Ohio have a Medigap birthday rule?
- Is Medigap Plan F still available in Ohio?
- What is the difference between Medigap Plan G and Plan N?
- What happens to my Medigap if I move out of Ohio?
- When can I buy Medigap in Ohio?
Part of the guide: Medigap (Medicare Supplement) in Ohio · All questions
Frequently asked questions
Will Original Medicare still cover my condition during a waiting period?
Yes. Medicare still pays its share for Medicare-covered care. During a pre-existing condition waiting period, only the Medigap policy's share for that condition can be excluded, so you'd owe the coinsurance or copays yourself.
What counts as creditable coverage?
Most other health coverage you had recently, such as employer or individual health insurance, counts if your break in coverage was no more than 63 days. Ask the Medigap company whether your past coverage counts.
Can a company cancel my Medigap if I get sick later?
No. Ohio's rule makes Medigap policies guaranteed renewable: the company can't cancel or refuse to renew because of your health, only for nonpayment of premium or material misrepresentation.
Medicare in your Ohio county
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