How switching works in Arizona
Medigap policies are standardized: a Plan G from one company covers the same things as a Plan G from another. What differs is the price and how the company treats you when you apply. In Arizona, a switch outside a protected situation works like a new application:
- The company can ask health questions (medical underwriting).
- It can decline you or charge you more based on your health.
- If you've had your current Medigap policy for less than six months, the new policy may make you wait for coverage of a pre-existing condition, for up to the months you're short.
Some people switch because their premium rose, or to move to a different plan letter. Both are allowed; you just need the new company to accept you.
Arizona has no birthday rule
Some states give people a yearly window, often around their birthday, to switch Medigap policies without health questions. Arizona doesn't. Arizona's Medigap statute, A.R.S. 20-1133, follows the federal standards, and NAIC's May 2026 state chart lists no birthday or anniversary rule for Arizona. Arizona rules do bar attained-age rating (Ariz. Admin. Code R20-6-1101), so a company can't build automatic age-based increases into your price. Premiums can still rise for other reasons, such as inflation and claims costs.
When you can switch without health questions
- Your Medigap open enrollment period: six months from the first month you're 65 or older and have Part B.
- A federal guaranteed-issue right, such as your Medicare Advantage plan leaving your county, your Medigap company going bankrupt, or a trial right after trying Medicare Advantage. In each case you can buy only certain plan letters. See Is Medigap guaranteed issue in Arizona?
How to switch safely
- Compare premiums for the plan letter you want from several companies, and ask how each has raised rates in the past.
- Apply for the new policy and answer the health questions honestly. Don't cancel your current policy yet.
- Wait for approval and the new policy's start date.
- Use the 30-day review period. Federal rules give you 30 days after you get the new policy to decide whether to keep it. You'll pay both premiums for the month you have both.
- Cancel the old policy in writing once you've decided to keep the new one, timed so the old coverage ends after the new one starts. Once you cancel, you generally can't get the old policy back.
Medigap and Medicare Advantage don't mix. If you're thinking of leaving Medigap for a Medicare Advantage plan, know that getting Medigap back later may require health questions, except during a 12-month trial right the first time you try Medicare Advantage.
Get help
A licensed insurance agent with Benefits Life can compare Medigap policies from the companies they work with and explain how underwriting works, at no cost to you, at (602) SENIORS (602-736-4677), TTY 711. Complaints about a Medigap company or agent go to the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions. More on Medigap in Arizona.
Related questions
Is Medigap guaranteed issue in Arizona?
The federal situations that protect you.
When can I buy Medigap in Arizona?
Your one-time open enrollment period.
When can I change my Medicare plan?
Medicare Advantage and Part D windows.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Can I switch or drop my Medigap policy?
- CMS — Choosing a Medigap Policy (switching policies and the 30-day period)
- Arizona Legislature — A.R.S. 20-1133, Medicare supplement insurance
- Arizona Administrative Code R20-6-1101, Medicare supplement incorporation by reference and modifications, via Cornell LII
- NAIC — State Medigap rules: "Birthday Rule" and coverage for under 65, as of May 11, 2026
- Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions
Frequently asked questions
Is there a time of year to switch Medigap plans in Arizona?
No. Medigap isn't tied to the fall Annual Enrollment Period, and Arizona has no birthday or anniversary rule. You can apply whenever you like; what matters is whether the new company accepts you.
Can a Medigap company in Arizona turn me down?
Outside your Medigap open enrollment period and federal guaranteed-issue situations, yes. The company can ask health questions and decline you, charge more, or make you wait for coverage of a pre-existing condition if you've had your current policy less than six months.
Should I cancel my old Medigap policy first?
No. Keep your current policy until the new one is approved and you've decided to keep it. You have 30 days after you get the new policy to decide; you pay both premiums for the month you have both.
Can I switch to a lower-cost company for the same plan letter?
You can apply. Prices for the same plan letter vary by company, and the benefits are the same. In Arizona the new company can still use health questions unless you have a guaranteed-issue right.
Medicare in your Arizona county
Plans, local agents and help, county by county: Apache · Cochise · Coconino · Gila · Graham · Greenlee · La Paz · Maricopa · Mohave · Navajo · Pima · Pinal · Santa Cruz · Yavapai · Yuma
