Can I keep my Medicare supplemental insurance if I move?
Yes, you can keep your current Medicare supplemental plan (Medigap policy) regardless of where you live in the US, as long as you are still in original Medicare and continue to pay your premiums.
The states have different regulations when it comes to switching Medigap policies. You may call the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) or the State Insurance Department (SID) of your new place for details.
When you move, most important is to make sure that your supplemental policy will be accepted by health care providers in your new area.
Medicare SELECT policies for example require the insured person to use a local Network of medical providers and hospitals. If you have such a plan and move outside of the Network, you will have to switch to a different Medigap Plan that is sold in the state you are moving to. If you don’t, you will only be covered for emergency care outside of the plan’s Network. You may switch from a SELECT plan to a ‘regular’ plan at any time, because you covered by the ‘Guaranteed Right‘, also called ‘Medigap protection’. You have 60 days before and 63 days after your current coverage ends to switch to a new supplement plan.
Even if you have a plan that does not require you to use a particular network, it may be a good idea to call some doctor’s offices in your new area beforehand in order to find out whether they will accept your current plan. Remember, that not every medical care provider is required to accept Medicare insurance.
In case you can’t find a doctor to your liking who accepts your current supplement plan in your new state, you are still able to switch the plan. However, your guaranteed issue rights do NOT apply in this case. This means if you dropped your current policy outside of the open enrollment period, you can’t get it back, and your new Medicap policy could even be more expensive. Also, you may be required to answer certain medical health questions.
If you need to switch policies, contact the new insurance company first and apply for your new policy. Once they have accepted your application, it’s time to contact your current company to cancel your previous coverage.
