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Medicare in Michigan, from turning 65 to wintering south.
Michigan has no Medigap birthday rule, so your 6-month open enrollment is the one window where any Medicare Supplement is guaranteed. See your dates, compare Medigap and Medicare Advantage, and plan for the months you spend out of state.
When is your Medigap 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 Michigan?
Most Michiganders 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.
No birthday rule: your only no-health-questions doors
Some states give a yearly window to change Medigap plans without health questions. Michigan does not. Outside the situations on the right, a Medigap company in Michigan can ask about your health and turn you down.
Sources: Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services, Medicare Supplement Policies; Medicare.gov. Compare every state in our Medigap rules by state tracker.
- Your 6-month windowStarts the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. Any plan, any company, no health questions.
- Your plan leavesIf your Medicare Advantage plan stops serving your area, you usually get 63 days to buy certain Medigap plans with no health questions. What to do if your plan is leaving.
- The trial rightJoined Medicare Advantage when you first became eligible at 65? You can switch to Original Medicare and a Medigap plan within the first 12 months.
- Lost other coverageLosing certain coverage, such as some employer or retiree plans that supplement Medicare, can open a guaranteed window.
On Medicare before 65 in Michigan
Michigan’s protection for people under 65 is narrower than many states’. It depends on which company you apply to.
Source: Michigan Compiled Laws section 500.3831; Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services.
- Which companiesCompanies that also sell major medical health insurance in Michigan must offer Medigap Plan A and Plan G to people under 65 with no health questions. Most other Medigap companies are not required to.
- What it costsThose companies can charge more than their age-65 rate, and a pre-existing condition wait of up to 6 months can apply if you had no prior coverage with them.
- At 65You get your full 6-month open enrollment when you turn 65 and are enrolled in Part B, with every plan sold in Michigan 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 Michigan regulators. Two companies can quote nearly the same price today and be far apart in five years.
Wintering in Florida or Arizona?
Many Michigan retirees spend months out of state. 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 Michigan 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 Michigan
If your income and savings are limited, Michigan’s Medicare Savings Programs can pay your Part B premium and, for some people, your deductibles and coinsurance. You apply through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services at MI Bridges. Qualifying can also open special enrollment periods and lower drug costs, which changes which plans make sense, so tell us if you have applied.
The Michigan Medicare year
With no birthday rule, these dates are the ones that matter.
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.
You can apply for Medigap, but outside your window a company can ask health questions.
Federal windows: Medicare.gov. Turning 65 soon? Use our enrollment checklist.
Questions Michigan clients ask
Does Michigan have a Medigap birthday rule?
No. Michigan does not give a yearly window to change Medigap plans without health questions. Your 6-month open enrollment and the federal guaranteed-issue situations are the main times you can buy without underwriting.
I spend the winter in Florida. Which plan works best?
Original Medicare with a Medigap plan works with any provider that accepts Medicare in both states. Medicare Advantage plans are local, often cover only emergencies out of area, and can end your enrollment after 6 months away, so check a plan’s travel rules first.
Can I get a Medigap plan in Michigan if I am under 65?
Yes, from companies that also sell major medical coverage in Michigan. They must offer Plan A and Plan G with no health questions, though they can charge more than the age-65 rate.
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 Michigan ZIP code, including each company’s rate history, at no cost.