Hablamos español
Maryland gives you a Medigap switching window every birthday.
Each year, your birthday and the 30 days after it are your chance to move to a Medigap plan with equal or lesser benefits, from any company, with no health questions. See your dates, then compare Medigap and Medicare Advantage.
When is your Maryland birthday window?
Enter your birthday. Nothing is saved or sent until you choose to request quotes.
Appointed with Mutual of Omaha, Aetna, HealthSpring, UnitedHealthcare and many others. When we quote a Medicare Supplement, we show each company’s past rate increases, not just today’s price.
Medigap or Medicare Advantage in Maryland?
Most Marylanders on Medicare choose between these two paths, and the right one depends on your doctors, how much you travel, and how you want to pay for care. Here is the honest trade-off.
How Maryland’s birthday rule works
Since July 1, 2023, Maryland gives every Medigap policyholder a yearly window to change plans without answering health questions. It is one of the most flexible birthday rules in the country.
Source: Maryland Code, Insurance Article, section 15-909; Maryland Insurance Administration. Compare every state in our Medigap rules by state tracker.
- The windowYour birthday and the 30 days after it, every year.
- What you can switch toAny Medigap plan with equal or lesser benefits than the one you have, for example Plan G to another Plan G or to Plan N.
- Which companyAny company selling Medigap in Maryland. You do not have to stay with your current insurer.
- A better rate classIf you were medically underwritten before and placed at less than the preferred rate, you are entitled to the preferred rate when you switch during the window.
- Other doorsYour 6-month open enrollment at 65, your Medicare Advantage plan leaving your area, and the 12-month trial right still apply. If your plan is leaving.
On Medicare before 65 in Maryland
Maryland requires Medigap companies to cover people under 65 who have Medicare because of a disability, with price protection on Plan A.
Source: Maryland Code, Insurance Article, section 15-909; Maryland Insurance Administration.
- Your first windowApply within 6 months after you enroll in Part B, or after notice of retroactive enrollment, and companies must offer Plans A and D with no health questions. Plan C is also available if you were eligible for Medicare before 2020.
- Price protectionPlan A premiums for people under 65 cannot be more than the average premium charged to people 65 and older.
- At 65You get a second 6-month open enrollment at 65, with every Medigap plan sold in Maryland available.
Price is today. Rate history is the next ten years.
Every Plan G pays the same benefits, so companies compete on price. But many Medigap policies are priced by your current age, so the premium rises as you get older, on top of any rate increases the company files with Maryland regulators. Two companies can quote nearly the same price today and be far apart in five years.
Spending winters out of state?
Many Maryland retirees spend part of the year in Florida or the Carolinas. How your plan works while you are away matters as much as what it costs at home.
Source: Medicare.gov rules on moving, special enrollment periods and Medigap coverage.
- Medicare AdvantagePlans are built around a local network. Outside it, many cover only emergencies and urgent care, and a plan can end your enrollment if you are out of its service area for more than 6 months in a row. Ask whether a plan has a visitor or travel program.
- MedigapOriginal Medicare with a Medigap plan works with any provider that accepts Medicare, in Maryland and wherever you spend the winter.
- Part DCheck that your drug plan has network or mail-order pharmacies that work in both places.
- Moving for goodIf you move out of your plan’s area, you get a Special Enrollment Period to switch that lasts 2 full months after the move.
- Trips abroadPlans G and N include foreign travel emergency coverage: 80 percent after a $250 deductible, for care in the first 60 days of a trip, up to $50,000 in your lifetime.
Help paying Medicare costs in Maryland
If your income and savings are limited, Maryland’s Medicare Savings Programs can pay your Part B premium and, for some people, your deductibles and coinsurance. You apply through the Maryland Department of Human Services at myMDTHINK or your local Department of Social Services. Qualifying can also open special enrollment periods and lower drug costs, so tell us if you have applied.
The Maryland Medicare year
These are the dates that matter in Maryland.
Your 6-month Medigap window starts once you are 65 and on Part B. The best time to buy any Medigap plan.
Annual Enrollment: change Medicare Advantage or Part D plans for January 1.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: one change if you are already in an Advantage plan.
Your birthday plus 30 days: switch Medigap plans to equal or lesser benefits with no health questions.
Federal windows: Medicare.gov. Turning 65 soon? Use our enrollment checklist.
Questions Maryland clients ask
How does the Maryland Medigap birthday rule work?
Each year, during your birthday and the 30 days after it, you can switch to a Medigap plan with equal or lesser benefits from any company selling in Maryland, with no health questions. The rule took effect July 1, 2023.
Can I switch from Plan G to Plan N on my birthday in Maryland?
Yes. Plan N has fewer benefits than Plan G, so it counts as equal or lesser coverage and is allowed during your birthday window.
Can I get a Medigap plan in Maryland if I am under 65?
Yes, if you have Medicare because of a disability. Apply within 6 months after enrolling in Part B and companies must offer Plans A and D with no health questions, with Plan A priced no higher than the average age-65 premium.
Does it cost anything to work with you?
No. Insurance carriers pay agents a commission, and your premium is the same whether you enroll through us or directly with the company.
¿Pueden ayudarme en español?
Sí. Podemos ayudarle en español por teléfono o video. Envíe el formulario o mándenos un mensaje de texto al (773) 657-9140.
Know your window. Compare both paths. Then decide.
Send your details and a licensed advisor will compare Medigap and Medicare Advantage options for your Maryland ZIP code, including each company’s rate history, at no cost.