The two times Medigap is guaranteed issue
Federal law creates two kinds of protection, and in Arizona these are the only ones:
- Your Medigap open enrollment period. Six months starting the first month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. You can buy any Medigap policy sold in Arizona, at the same price as someone in good health. It happens once.
- Federal guaranteed-issue rights. Specific situations, listed below, in which you lose or leave other coverage.
Federal guaranteed-issue situations
| Your situation | When to apply |
|---|---|
| Your Medicare Advantage plan leaves Medicare, stops serving your area, or broke the rules or misled you, or you move out of its service area | From 60 days before to 63 days after your plan coverage ends |
| You joined Medicare Advantage when you first got Medicare at 65 and want to leave within the first 12 months (trial right) | From 60 days before to 63 days after your plan coverage ends |
| You dropped a Medigap policy to join Medicare Advantage for the first time and want to leave within 12 months (trial right) | From 60 days before to 63 days after your plan coverage ends |
| Employer or union coverage that pays after Medicare is ending | No later than 63 days after that coverage ends |
| Your Medigap company goes bankrupt, or your policy ends through no fault of your own | No later than 63 days after the coverage ends |
| Your Medigap company broke the rules or misled you | No later than 63 days after the coverage ends |
Each right lets you buy only certain plan letters, generally Plans A, B, D, G, K and L, plus Plans C and F if you were eligible for Medicare before 2020. Under a trial right after joining Medicare Advantage at 65, you can buy any policy sold in Arizona. If you dropped a Medigap policy for Medicare Advantage, you can get the same policy back if the company still sells it. Keep the letters you receive about your coverage ending; they prove your right.
The 2027 plan exits in Arizona
Several companies end Medicare Advantage plans in Arizona for 2027: three stop selling regular plans in some counties, and others end some plans while keeping others. If your plan is one of them, you have a federal guaranteed-issue right to buy a Medigap policy. For a plan ending December 31, 2026, apply no later than March 4, 2027, and apply before your plan ends if you want your Medigap policy to start January 1. See Arizona plans ending in 2027.
What Arizona law adds (and doesn't)
Arizona's Medigap statute, A.R.S. 20-1133, directs the state to follow the federal standards, and the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI) regulates the policies. Arizona has no birthday rule, no anniversary or yearly switching right, and no requirement to sell to people under 65, according to the statute and NAIC's May 2026 state chart. Arizona rules do bar attained-age rating, so a company can't price your policy to rise automatically as you get older (Ariz. Admin. Code R20-6-1101). More on Medigap in Arizona.
Get help
A licensed insurance agent with Benefits Life can check whether you have a guaranteed-issue right and compare Medigap policies from the companies they work with, at no cost to you, at (602) SENIORS (602-736-4677), TTY 711.
Related questions
When can I buy Medigap in Arizona?
Open enrollment timing and Part B.
Can I change Medigap plans in Arizona?
Switching policies without a birthday rule.
When can I change my Medicare plan?
Yearly windows and Special Enrollment Periods.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — When can I buy Medigap? (guaranteed-issue rights)
- CMS — Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare
- 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
What does guaranteed issue mean for Medigap?
It means the company must sell you a Medigap policy, can't charge you more because of your health, and must cover pre-existing conditions. Outside those situations, a company in Arizona can ask health questions, charge more or turn you down.
My Medicare Advantage plan is leaving my Arizona county for 2027. Do I have a guaranteed-issue right?
Yes. When a Medicare Advantage plan stops serving your area, you can buy certain Medigap policies without health questions. You can apply as early as 60 days before your plan coverage ends and no later than 63 days after it ends, which is March 4, 2027 for a plan ending December 31, 2026.
Does Arizona have a Medigap birthday rule?
No. Arizona's Medigap law follows the federal standards and doesn't give a yearly or birthday right to switch policies. If you want to change policies outside a guaranteed-issue situation, the new company can ask about your health.
Is Medigap guaranteed issue for people under 65 in Arizona?
No. Arizona doesn't require Medigap companies to sell to people under 65 who have Medicare because of a disability or ESRD. When you turn 65, you get your own six-month Medigap open enrollment period.
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
