The Medigap trial right is a federal guaranteed issue protection that gives you 12 months to switch back to Medicare Supplement coverage after trying Medicare Advantage, without answering a single medical question. It applies whether you tried Medicare Advantage the moment you first became eligible for Medicare or dropped an existing Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy later on to test out a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan. Once the 12-month window closes, getting back into Medigap generally requires medical underwriting like any other application. Here’s how the Medigap trial right works, who qualifies, and what to do before time runs out.
💡 Tip: A Medigap quote on Senior65.com takes less than 30 seconds, so it’s easy to check what a plan would cost you before you decide whether the trial right is worth using. No personal contact information is required to receive a quote.
What Is the Medigap Trial Right?
Under federal law, insurance companies generally can’t ask health questions or deny you a Medigap policy during specific “guaranteed issue” situations. The trial right is one of these situations, built specifically for people who try Medicare Advantage and then change their minds. Instead of forcing you to stay with a decision made in your first year, the trial right gives you a full 12 months to decide Medicare Advantage isn’t the right fit and switch back to Medigap (also called Med Sup or Medsupp) at guaranteed issue rates. Source: Medicare.gov.
Who Qualifies for the Medigap Trial Right?
Medicare.gov recognizes two separate paths into the trial right, and they lead to slightly different guarantees. Both require that you switch back to Original Medicare, not to a different Medicare Advantage plan.
1) You Joined Medicare Advantage When You First Became Eligible for Medicare
If you enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan the moment you were first eligible for Medicare Part A at age 65, and within 12 months you decide you are not happy, you have the right to return to Original Medicare and buy any Medigap policy sold by any insurance company in your state. If you qualified for this rule you would be approved for Medigap at the best rate without underwriting. Source: Medicare.gov.
2) You Dropped Medigap to Try Medicare Advantage for the First Time
If you already had a Medigap policy and dropped it to join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time, at any age or number of years into Medicare, you also get a 12-month trial. In this case, you have the right to buy back the EXACT SAME Medigap policy from the EXACT SAME insurance company, if that company still sells it. If it doesn’t, you can buy Medigap Plan A, B, C, F, K, or L (or Plan A, B, D, G, K, or L if you were new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020) from an insurance company in your state.
📌 Note: Either path only protects a switch back to Original Medicare. If you decide to leave one Medicare Advantage plan for a different Medicare Advantage plan instead, the trial right doesn’t apply, and you’d generally need to wait for the annual Medicare Open Enrollment Period between Oct 15 and Dec 7th, or the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from Jan 1 to March 31.
Medigap Trial Right Rules
You must apply for the new Medigap policy within a specific window: no more than 60 days before your Medicare Advantage coverage ends, or no more than 63 days after it ends. Source: Medicare.gov. Keep copies of your enrollment letters, disenrollment notices, and any correspondence from your Medicare Advantage plan. You may need them to prove you qualify for guaranteed issue when you apply.
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What if Your 12-Month Trial Right Has Already Passed?
Missing the 12-month window doesn’t close the door on Medigap. Medical underwriting is available to apply for a Medigap policy at any time of year, regardless of whether you qualify for a guaranteed issue right. A pre-existing condition doesn’t automatically disqualify you, but every carrier weighs your history differently, so it’s worth checking your odds before you apply. Our Instant Medigap Underwriting Checker can give you a sense of where you stand with Medigap underwriting in a few minutes.
Some states also offer their own guaranteed issue windows outside the federal trial right, including annual “Birthday Rule” or anniversary windows in certain states. Most of those state rules only apply to switching from one Medigap plan to another, but a few states do create a path from Medicare Advantage back to Medigap: New York and Connecticut allow guaranteed-issue Medigap enrollment year-round, Rhode Island allows it during the Annual Enrollment Period, Maine extends the trial period to three years, and Delaware offers guaranteed-issue windows for Medicare Advantage members. See our Medigap Birthday Rule state guide and Medicare Insurance Switching guide for details on where these windows exist.
How to Use Your Trial Right Before It Expires
First compare how Medicare Advantage and Medigap actually stack up on Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage before you decide which direction makes sense for your health needs and budget.
- Mark your 12-month deadline from the date your Medicare Advantage plan started (this applies to both paths).
- Decide early. Applying up to 60 days before your Medicare Advantage coverage ends gives your new Medigap policy a cleaner start date than waiting until after.
- Gather your enrollment and disenrollment paperwork in case the new insurer asks for proof of your guaranteed issue right.
- Compare plans, get an instant Medigap quote and apply online.
- Reach out to our team at Senior65.com if you want help confirming which plan is right for you
Our Medicare Insurance Switching guide and Switching Medigap Plans guide both walk through the mechanics of moving from one type of coverage to another in more detail, including timing and paperwork.
Ready to Switch Back to Medigap?
If you’re within your 12-month trial right window, you don’t have to navigate the guaranteed issue paperwork alone. Our help is free, and by law no one can offer you a lower price on the same plan. Call 800-930-7956 to speak with our team at Senior65.com, or get a Medigap quote online in under a minute to see your options before you apply.