Can You Switch From Medicare Advantage to Medigap? Trial Rights, Timing, and Underwriting

Yes, you can switch from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare and apply for Medigap, but those are two separate steps. Medicare gives you specific times to leave Medicare Advantage. Medigap insurers, however, may use medical underwriting unless you are in your one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period or qualify for a guaranteed-issue right.

That distinction matters. Do not cancel Medicare Advantage first and assume a supplement will be waiting. Check your enrollment window, confirm whether you have a protected right to buy Medigap, compare the premium, and arrange Part D drug coverage before the change takes effect.

Medicare Advantage and Medigap are different coverage structures

A Medicare Advantage plan is another way to receive your Medicare Part A and Part B benefits. A Medigap policy works only with Original Medicare and helps pay certain deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance, depending on the plan letter. You cannot use Medigap to pay the costs of a Medicare Advantage plan.

If you move to Original Medicare, a Medigap policy does not replace prescription coverage. Medigap policies sold today do not include Part D, so you may need a separate Medicare drug plan. The Forest Brook Financial pages on Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement explain how the two arrangements handle provider access, plan rules, premiums, and out-of-pocket costs.

When can you leave Medicare Advantage?

The right time depends on why you are changing coverage. Medicare’s current enrollment-period guidance lists the main opportunities:

• Medicare Open Enrollment, October 15 through December 7. You can leave Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare. A change submitted by December 7 generally takes effect January 1.

• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment, January 1 through March 31. If you are already in Medicare Advantage, you can make one change to another Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare. The new coverage generally begins the first day of the month after the plan receives the request.

• A Special Enrollment Period. Certain events, such as moving out of a plan’s service area or losing qualifying coverage, may let you change outside the regular periods. The dates and options depend on the event.

Leaving Medicare Advantage during one of these periods does not, by itself, create a Medigap guaranteed-issue right. Before you submit the change, identify the Medigap rule that applies to you.

When can you buy Medigap without medical underwriting?

Your strongest federal protection is usually your one-time, six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It begins the first month you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. During that period, an insurer cannot deny a policy or charge more because of your health history.

After that window, a carrier may ask health questions, decline the application, or charge a different premium unless you qualify for a guaranteed-issue right. Medicare’s Medigap buying tool explains that the application window for many protected situations can open 60 days before Medicare Advantage coverage ends and close 63 days after it ends. The exact right and plans available depend on the event, so keep every plan notice and verify your deadline.

Two federal Medigap trial rights can protect a first switch

A trial right is meant to protect certain people who try Medicare Advantage and decide within the first year that they prefer Original Medicare with Medigap. Medicare describes two common situations:

• You joined Medicare Advantage when first eligible for Medicare at 65. If you return to Original Medicare within the first year, you can buy certain Medigap policies sold in your state under federal protections.

• You dropped a Medigap policy to join Medicare Advantage for the first time. If you leave the plan within the first year, you generally have a one-time right to get the former Medigap policy back if the same insurer still sells it. If it is unavailable, you may be able to buy certain other standardized policies.

The 12-month clock and the phrase “for the first time” are important. A person who has been in Medicare Advantage for several years should not assume the trial right applies. Medicare’s Medigap and Medicare Advantage guidance also warns that you may not be able to recover the same policy—or any policy—if you leave outside a protected period.

Maryland residents may have additional protections

Maryland law recognizes several guaranteed-issue events in addition to the initial enrollment window. The Maryland Insurance Administration’s Medicare Supplement FAQ notes that a protected event may include terminating a Medicare Supplement policy and then enrolling in Medicare Advantage, along with other circumstances. The state says the guaranteed-issue period generally lasts 63 days, but when it begins and which plans must be offered depend on the reason.

Maryland also added two protections effective July 1, 2026. One covers certain people who lose Medicaid after having both Medicaid and Part B for at least six months. The other covers certain people eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020 who experience a qualifying federal Special Enrollment Period. The state’s 2026 consumer advisory gives the eligibility details and 63-day application deadlines.

The Maryland birthday rule is different. It lets someone who already has a Maryland-issued Medigap policy apply around their birthday for a policy with equal or lesser benefits without underwriting. It does not create a general right for someone coming directly from Medicare Advantage to buy a first Medigap policy. Use the Maryland birthday-rule page to see the limits.

A safer order of operations

Coverage changes have several moving parts. This sequence reduces the chance of a gap or an unpleasant surprise:

• Confirm that you can leave Medicare Advantage and note the effective date.

• Determine whether you are in Medigap Open Enrollment, a trial right, or another guaranteed-issue situation.

• Apply for Medigap before the protected application window closes. Do not rely on a verbal assumption that underwriting will be waived.

• Get the policy approval, premium, and effective date in writing when possible.

• Choose a separate Part D plan if you want drug coverage with Original Medicare, and check every prescription and pharmacy.

• Make sure the Medicare Advantage end date, Original Medicare start, Medigap start, and Part D start line up.

• Keep plan notices, applications, confirmations, and the names and dates of calls.

If you are reviewing an annual plan change, start with the plan’s Annual Notice of Change. If provider access is driving the decision, this guide to Medicare Advantage prior authorization can help you separate network and approval issues from the broader choice of coverage structure. People comparing supplements may also want to know what Medigap does not cover for dental, vision, and hearing.

Compare the full cost, not only the premium

A Medigap premium can make medical costs more predictable, but the monthly premium is only part of the picture. Add the Part B premium, the Medigap premium, and a Part D premium, then consider the costs Medigap does not cover. Compare that total with the Medicare Advantage premium, copayments, coinsurance, provider network, drug coverage, prior-authorization rules, and annual out-of-pocket limit.

Prices and acceptance are personal to the application. Medigap premiums, underwriting decisions, plan availability, and rating methods vary by insurer, age, location, health circumstances, policy, and state. Medicare Advantage and Part D availability, benefits, networks, formularies, premiums, and cost sharing also vary by plan and can change each year.

Frequently asked questions

Can I have Medicare Advantage and Medigap at the same time?

No. Medigap supplements Original Medicare and cannot be used to pay Medicare Advantage costs. A Medigap policy cannot start until the Medicare Advantage coverage ends and you return to Original Medicare.

Does fall Medicare Open Enrollment guarantee Medigap acceptance?

No. The October 15–December 7 period lets you change how you receive Medicare coverage. It does not reopen your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period. You still need a guaranteed-issue right or approval through the insurer’s underwriting process.

What if a Medigap application is denied?

First ask for the reason in writing. If you believe you qualify for a federal or Maryland guaranteed-issue right, provide the plan termination notices or other proof requested and contact the Maryland Insurance Administration or 1-800-MEDICARE for help. Do not let the Medicare Advantage disenrollment deadline pass while assuming the Medigap issue will resolve automatically.

Do I need Part D after switching?

Medigap policies sold today do not include outpatient prescription drug coverage. If you want drug coverage with Original Medicare, you generally need a separate Part D plan. Enrolling late after going without creditable drug coverage can lead to a penalty, so coordinate the dates.

The bottom line

You can switch from Medicare Advantage to Medigap only by returning to Original Medicare and obtaining a separate supplement policy. The Medicare enrollment window controls when you can leave your plan; Medigap enrollment protections control whether an insurer must accept you without underwriting.

If you want help checking the dates, trial rights, available Medigap policies, and separate drug coverage before making a change, contact Forest Brook Financial for a plain-English review of your options.

Forest Brook Financial is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.