Can I switch from one plan G to another plan G without underwriting?

Editorial team Published on

✅ Generally, no. In most states and situations, switching from a Plan G with one insurance company to a Plan G with a different insurance company requires passing medical underwriting.

💡 When Underwriting is Required

  • Switching carriers: Moving your Plan G to a new company means answering health questions.
  • Carrier denial risk: The new insurer can deny coverage or charge more based on your health history.
  • Same letter benefit: Even though the benefits are identical, they are separate contracts from private insurers.

🗓️ Exceptions (No Underwriting Needed)

  • State Birthday Rules: States like California, Oregon, Kentucky, and New Mexico allow you to switch to an equal/lesser plan around your birthday without health questions.
  • Year-Round Open States: States like New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Washington have continuous or specific open enrollment rights.
  • Guaranteed Issue (GI) Rights: Qualifying events like losing employer coverage or a Medicare Advantage trial period.
  • Internal Company Transfer: Moving from one Plan G to a different Plan G within the exact same insurance company sometimes bypasses underwriting, depending on internal company policy.

How long can you change Medicare Supplement plans without underwriting?

You can change Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans without medical underwriting during your initial 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period or when you have specific Guaranteed Issue Rights.

Initial Open Enrollment Period

  • Starts the month you turn age 65 and enroll in Medicare Part B.
  • Lasts for 6 months.
  • Guarantees you can buy any plan with no health questions or denials.

Guaranteed Issue Rights

  • Applies during special life events.
  • Includes losing employer coverage.
  • Includes a 12-month trial when first joining a Medicare Advantage plan.
  • Includes moving out of your plan's service area.

State-Specific Rules

  • Some states offer extra windows without underwriting.
  • Examples include birthday rules in states like California, Oregon, and Illinois.
  • States like New York and Connecticut have year-round open enrollment.

How to avoid Medigap underwriting?

You can avoid Medigap medical underwriting by enrolling during your initial Medigap Open Enrollment Period or qualifying for specific guaranteed-issue rights.

Medigap Open Enrollment Period

  • Lasts for 6 months starting the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B.
  • Insurers cannot use your health history to deny coverage or charge you more during this window.

Guaranteed-Issue Rights

  • Applies when certain life events happen, such as losing employer group coverage.
  • Triggered if your Medicare Advantage plan leaves your area or stops operating.
  • Available during a 12-month trial right if you enrolled in Medicare Advantage when first eligible and want to switch back to Original Medicare.

State-Specific Rules

  • States like New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine offer broader protections or year-round enrollment without underwriting.
  • Some states have a birthday or anniversary rule letting you switch plans without health questions during a specific yearly window.

Can you switch from one medicare plan G to another?

Yes, you can switch from one Medicare Plan G to another Plan G, usually to change insurance companies for a lower monthly premium.

How Switching Works

  • Standardized Benefits: Plan G benefits are identical across all insurance companies. Switching companies does not change your coverage.
  • Medical Underwriting: In most states, if you are past your initial 6-month Medigap open enrollment period, you must answer health questions and pass medical underwriting to switch. The new company can deny coverage based on your health history.
  • No Underwriting Exceptions: Some states have a "birthday rule" or "anniversary rule" allowing you to switch to an equal or lesser plan without health questions. States like California, Oregon, and others offer these annual windows. Other states like New York and Connecticut feature continuous year-round open enrollment.
  • Deductible Status: Your calendar-year Part B deductible does not reset when you switch carriers mid-year, because the deductible is tracked by Medicare, not your insurance company.

Does Plan G require underwriting?

Medicare Supplement Plan G requires medical underwriting unless you enroll during a specific protected timeframe or qualify for guaranteed issue rights.

When Underwriting Is NOT Required

  • Medigap Open Enrollment: The 6-month window starting the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. Insurers cannot ask health questions.
  • Guaranteed Issue Rights: Specific life events where federal or state law protects you, such as losing employer group health coverage or a company leaving the market.
  • Trial Rights: Disenrolling from a Medicare Advantage plan within 12 months of first joining it.
  • State-Specific Rules: Certain states offer annual windows like birthday rules or anniversary rules that let you switch plans without health checks.

When Underwriting IS Required

  • Outside Open Enrollment: Applying for Plan G after your initial 6-month window has passed.
  • Switching Insurance Companies: Moving from Plan G with one carrier to Plan G with a different carrier outside a state-exempt rule.
  • Changing Plans: Switching from another Medigap plan (like Plan F) to Plan G outside of a guaranteed issue event.

During underwriting, insurance companies can review your medical history, ask health questions, and deny coverage or charge higher rates based on your health status.

Can You Switch Medicare Plans Later? Here’s What Actually Happens

9 related questions found

Can I change from Plan G High Deductible to Plan G without underwriting?

Switching from High-Deductible Plan G to standard Plan G usually requires medical underwriting unless you live in a state with specific protective rules or your insurance carrier offers a special conversion privilege.

When Underwriting Is Required

  • Most States: Moving from High-Deductible Plan G to standard Plan G adds benefits (it covers the out-of-pocket deductible), which most states treat as "switching up".
  • Health Questions: You will typically need to answer health history questions and get approved by the insurance carrier.

Exceptions Where Underwriting May Be Avoided

  • Year-Round Open Enrollment States: States like Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Washington, and Vermont have continuous or specific open enrollment rules that may let you change plans without health questions.
  • Carrier-Specific Rules: On Reddit, discussions note that some individual insurance companies build in an internal "conversion privilege" allowing you to move from a high-deductible plan to a standard plan after a set time (like two years) without new health questions. You must check directly with your specific insurance carrier.
  • Birthday/Anniversary Rules: While several states have birthday rules allowing switches without underwriting, these rules often restrict you to plans of equal or lesser benefits (and standard Plan G offers higher total benefits than High-Deductible Plan G).

What is the most popular supplemental insurance for Medicare?

Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plan G is the most popular supplemental insurance plan for Medicare.

Most Popular Medigap Plans

  • Plan G: Covers nearly all out-of-pocket costs from Original Medicare except the Part B deductible, making it the top choice for new beneficiaries.
  • Plan F: Offers the most comprehensive coverage (including the Part B deductible) but is restricted to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. It is the second-most popular plan.
  • Plan N: Provides lower monthly premiums with small copayments for certain office and emergency room visits, serving as a cost-effective alternative.

Top Insurance Providers

  • AARP by UnitedHealthcare: Widely recognized with nationwide availability and extra perks like SilverSneakers.
  • Mutual of Omaha: Known for competitive long-term pricing and strong financial stability.
  • State Farm: Highly rated for customer satisfaction and low complaint records.

What states allow switching Medigap plans without underwriting?

Several states allow you to change your Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans without medical underwriting using specific year-round rules, birthday rules, or anniversary rules.

Year-Round Open Enrollment States

These states let you switch or enroll in a plan at any time during the year without answering health questions:

  • Connecticut: Year-round open enrollment with guaranteed acceptance.
  • New York: Year-round continuous open enrollment for all residents.
  • Vermont: Year-round enrollment available through select carriers (like UnitedHealthcare and Mutual of Omaha).
  • Washington: Allows year-round plan-to-plan switching under specific rules (such as switching from non-Plan A to other plans).
  • Maine: Allows switching to a plan with the same or fewer benefits anytime, provided you have no continuous coverage lapses over 90 days.
  • Massachusetts: Offers an annual open enrollment switching period from February 1 to March 31.

Birthday Rule States

These states provide a window (usually 30 to 60 days starting around your birthday) where you can switch to a plan with equal or lesser value/benefits without medical underwriting:

  • California
  • Delaware
  • Idaho
  • Illinois (limited to ages 65–75 with a 45-day window)
  • Indiana (must be the same lettered plan)
  • Kentucky (must stay with your current carrier)
  • Louisiana (must stay with your current carrier)
  • Maryland
  • Nevada
  • New Mexico (60-day window starting the first day of your birthday month, taking effect January 1, 2027)
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Utah (must be with your current carrier)
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia (requires having the same policy for at least 24 months)
  • Wyoming

Anniversary Rule States

  • Missouri: Grants a 60-day window (30 days before and 30 days after your original policy's anniversary date) to switch to a plan of equal benefits with the same insurer without underwriting.

What are common complaints about Medigap plans?

Common complaints about Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plans center around rising costs, strict enrollment rules, and lack of extra perks.

High and Rising Costs

  • Steep monthly premiums: Medigap plans cost more each month than zero-dollar or low-premium Medicare Advantage alternatives.
  • Unpredictable rate hikes: Premiums often rise every year due to inflation and aging. Attained-age policies can trigger sharp price jumps as you get older.
  • No extra benefits: Plans do not include routine dental, vision, or hearing care.

Missing Coverage

  • No prescription drugs: Medigap policies sold today exclude prescription drug coverage. You must buy a separate Medicare Part D plan.
  • No help for non-approved services: Medigap only covers costs for services that Original Medicare first approves. If Medicare denies a service, the supplement pays nothing.

Inflexibility and Underwriting

  • Difficult to switch plans: Outside your initial 6-month open enrollment window, changing companies or plans usually requires passing health questions (medical underwriting).
  • Risk of denial: Insurers can reject applicants or charge higher rates based on pre-existing health conditions. This makes moving from Medicare Advantage back to Medigap a difficult "one-way street".

Do doctors prefer Medigap or Medicare Advantage?

Most doctors prefer Medigap (Medicare Supplement) over Medicare Advantage because it avoids private insurance red tape.

Why Doctors Prefer Medigap

  • Less Paperwork: Doctors bill Original Medicare directly, meaning faster and more predictable payments.
  • No Prior Authorizations: Medigap does not require approval from a private insurance company before giving care. Studies show a vast majority of physicians are frustrated by Advantage plan pre-approval delays.
  • No Network Limits: Patients can see any doctor or hospital nationwide that accepts Medicare.

Why Doctors Dislike Medicare Advantage

  • Administrative Burden: Advantage plans require time-consuming referrals and pre-approvals.
  • Care Denials: Private insurers often delay or deny treatments, which creates friction between the doctor and the patient.
  • Restricted Networks: Doctors must navigate narrow HMO or PPO provider rules set by individual private companies.