When should I buy a Medicare Supplement so I can't be turned down?

Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is the window to use. It lasts 6 months, starting with the first month you're both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During those months, health history can't be used to deny you or raise your price. Afterward, insurers can ask medical questions and say no, unless a guaranteed issue right applies to you.

More detail

Here's how it works. Say you turn 65 in May and your Part B starts May 1. Your Medicare Supplement open enrollment runs May through October. During those 6 months you can buy any Supplement policy sold in your state, generally with better prices and more choices, and the company can't charge you more because of your health.

One twist: if you delayed Part B because you're still working with job coverage, your window doesn't start until you get Part B. So there's no need to rush while you're still covered at work.

Another thing to know: a company may make you wait up to 6 months for coverage of a pre-existing condition. If you had at least 6 months of continuous creditable coverage before applying, that wait can't apply.

What to have ready: your Part B start date and a list of your doctors.

If your window is coming up, let's talk before it starts so you can use it well.