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Can I switch Medigap plans any time?

You can apply any time. Whether you will be accepted is a different question in Texas. Here is how to switch safely.

Updated August 17, 2026 · 2 min read

There is no enrollment season for Medicare Supplements. You can apply to change plans or carriers on any day of the year.

The catch is that applying and being accepted are different things.

The underwriting question

Outside your six month open enrollment window, and outside a guaranteed issue situation, Texas allows Medigap insurers to medically underwrite. They can ask health questions, charge more, or decline.

So switching is easy when you are healthy and can be impossible when you are not, which is the opposite of when you most want to shop.

The rule that matters most

Good reasons to switch

• Your premium has risen well above what other carriers charge for the identical plan
• You want to move from Plan F to Plan G, or from G to N, to lower your cost
• You want a high deductible version to reduce your premium
• Your carrier's service has been poor
• You found a household discount elsewhere

Since coverage is standardized, moving between carriers for the same letter changes nothing except your price and who answers the phone.

The 30 day free look

When you buy a new Medigap policy you generally get a 30 day free look period. You can keep both policies briefly and cancel the new one for a refund if you change your mind.

You pay both premiums during the overlap. That is the cost of eliminating any gap, and it is usually worth it.

How to switch properly

1. Get quotes for the same plan letter from several carriers, including the pricing method and rate increase history.
2. Apply to the one you want. Answer health questions accurately, because misstatements can void the policy later.
3. Wait for written approval and an effective date.
4. Set the old policy to terminate the day before the new one begins.
5. Confirm both in writing.

See comparing rates properly.

If you are declined

• Try other carriers. Underwriting standards differ substantially.
• Consider a different plan letter or a high deductible version, which some carriers underwrite more leniently.
• Stay where you are. A policy you already hold is guaranteed renewable and cannot be cancelled for health reasons.
• If your current premium is genuinely unaffordable, look at Advantage plans, which cannot decline you. Understand that returning to a supplement later would face the same underwriting.

See how Medigap underwriting works.