Washington’s year-round Medigap switching rule, explained

In most states, the Medigap open enrollment at 65 is the only time an insurer must sell you any plan regardless of your health. Afterward, changing plans usually means answering health questions, and a retiree with a heart history or a cancer diagnosis is effectively locked into whatever they bought at 65, at whatever the carrier decides to charge. Washington State law removes that lock for people who already hold a Medigap policy. It is one of only a handful of states that does, and it changes how a Washingtonian should shop.

What the rule says, plainly

• Who: anyone who currently has a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy.
• What: you may switch to another Medigap plan — a different plan letter, a different company, or both — and the new insurer must accept you without medical underwriting.
• When: any time of year. There is no annual window and no birthday or anniversary limit.
• The exception: if you hold Plan A, you may switch only to another Plan A. Holders of Plans B through N may move among Plans B through N.
• Federal rules still apply: Plans C and F (including high-deductible F) can be sold only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Everyone newer moves among G, N, high-deductible G and the other letters.

What the rule does not do

It also does not freeze your premium. The new plan is priced at the new insurer’s current rate for your age and ZIP code, and a premium can still rise later; the difference is that a rise is now a reason to shop rather than a trap. And a switch does not change your Part D plan, which has its own windows.

How Washingtonians actually use it

Why this changes how you shop at 65

In a state without this rule, the safest advice is to buy the richest plan you can afford at 65, because you may never be able to upgrade. In Washington the calculation is different: you can start with Plan N or high-deductible G and move to Plan G later if your health or your budget changes. What you cannot do is start in Medicare Advantage and count on moving to Medigap at 70 without health questions. That asymmetry is the heart of the Washington decision, and it is why we walk through the Medigap and Advantage paths together with you before you pick one.

How to make the switch

1. Compare the plan letters and each carrier’s current Washington premium and filed rate history for your age and ZIP code.
2. Apply for the new policy first, noting on the application that you are replacing an existing Medigap policy.
3. Once the new policy is issued, cancel the old one effective the same date, so there is no gap and no overlap.
4. Keep your Part D plan; it is unaffected.

We handle the comparison and the paperwork at no cost; the premium is the same whether you switch through us, another agent or the carrier. For free, unbiased counseling, Washington SHIBA (800-562-6900) will walk through the same rule with you; the state-by-state picture is on switching Medigap plans.