Kentucky's Medigap birthday rule gives you one 60-day window a year, beginning on your birthday, to move your Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan to a cheaper insurer with no medical underwriting. If your premium just went up, this is how you take the same coverage to a lower-priced company without your health being used against you.

In This Guide

How Kentucky's Medigap Birthday Rule Works

Kentucky created this right in 806 KAR 17:570 Section 14, the regulation implementing KRS 304.14-525, enacted as House Bill 345 in the 2023 legislative session and effective January 1, 2024.

In plain terms: each year, the guaranteed-issue window begins on your birthday and runs for 60 days. During it, you can apply for the exact same Medigap plan you already carry, but with a different insurance company, and that company is not allowed to look at your health. It cannot ask health questions, cannot ask about your height, weight, tobacco use, or prescription drug history, and cannot turn you down or charge you more because of a medical condition.

This matters because Medigap premiums for the same lettered plan can differ widely between companies, and they tend to rise over time. Plan G covers the same set of benefits no matter which company sells it, so two Plan G policies are interchangeable on coverage even when their prices are not. The birthday rule is your once-a-year chance to move to a lower price on the coverage you already have, without the medical underwriting that would otherwise apply outside your federal Medigap Open Enrollment Period.

The timing point to get right: the 60 days start on your birthday, not before it. If you let the window close, you wait until next year.

Kentucky Medigap Birthday Rule at a Glance

Question Answer
Who qualifies Anyone who already holds a Kentucky Medigap policy, regardless of age
When the window opens A 60-day period that begins on your birthday and ends 60 days after your birth date, once a year
What you can switch to The same standardized plan letter you currently hold (for example, Plan G to Plan G)
Which insurers A different insurance company than your current one
Underwriting None: no health questions, no height or weight, no tobacco or prescription history
Can the insurer deny you or charge more for health No

What the Kentucky Birthday Rule Does Not Let You Do

The birthday rule is a plan-for-plan replacement, and that boundary is strict. You can only move to the same plan letter you already have. If you hold Plan G, you can move to another company's Plan G; you cannot use this window to switch to Plan N, Plan F, or any other letter, and you cannot use it to add or drop benefits.

It also does not apply if you do not yet have a Medigap policy. The birthday rule is a right for current policyholders. If you are new to Medicare, your main guaranteed-issue window is the federal Medigap Open Enrollment Period, the six months that begin when you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. For the difference between Medigap and Medicare Advantage, see our guide to Original Medicare versus Medicare Advantage.

How to Shop for a Cheaper Medigap Plan in Kentucky

Because every insurer must sell the same benefits for a given plan letter, the only thing that changes when you switch is the premium. A Plan G from one Kentucky company covers exactly what a Plan G from another company covers. So the work inside your birthday window is simple: get quotes on your current plan letter from several insurers, then apply to the one with the lowest price before the 60 days run out.

Two Kentucky offices help you do this for free. The Kentucky Department of Insurance publishes an annual Medicare Supplement guide that lists the companies selling each plan letter in the state so you can compare their rates side by side. The Kentucky State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), run through the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, gives free one-on-one counseling on Medigap, including help timing your window and reading quotes.

Kentucky Department of Insurance Publishes the annual Kentucky Medicare Supplement guide listing the insurers that sell each plan letter and their rates, so you can compare prices for your plan. insurance.ky.gov
Kentucky State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Free, unbiased Medicare and Medigap counseling from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services; ask for help timing your birthday window and comparing same-letter quotes. chfs.ky.gov

A Separate Medigap Window for People Under 65

The same 2024 law did one more thing. It created a new six-month open enrollment period for people under age 65 who are newly eligible for Medicare, with guaranteed issue during that window. Previously, Kentucky offered the six-month Medigap open enrollment only to people who qualified at 65. This is a separate protection from the birthday rule, and it is aimed at people new to Medicare rather than at existing Medigap holders shopping for a better price.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I switch to a different plan letter under Kentucky's rule?

No. The birthday rule is a plan-for-plan replacement only. You can move to the same standardized plan letter you already hold, such as Plan G to Plan G, but you cannot use this window to change to a different plan letter or to a plan with more or fewer benefits.

When is my window?

Your window is a 60-day guaranteed-issue period that begins on your birthday and ends 60 days after your birth date, available once a year. Because the clock starts on your birthday, plan to compare quotes ahead of time and apply in the weeks right after it.

Can I stay with my current company and use the rule?

No. The rule is specifically for moving the same plan to a different insurer. Its purpose is to let you take your existing coverage to another company, typically to get a lower premium, without medical underwriting.

Does my health matter when I use the birthday rule?

No. During the window the insurer cannot perform any medical underwriting. It cannot ask health questions, cannot ask about your height, weight, tobacco use, or prescription drug history, and cannot deny you or charge you more based on your health.

Learn More

MedicareMedicare Plans and Coverage in KentuckyMedicare in Kentucky for 2026: Parts A and B, Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap, free SHIP counseling through CHFS/DAIL, and the MSP cost-saving programs. MedicareHow Medigap WorksMedigap (Medicare Supplement) explained: how the standardized A-N plans work, Plan G vs Plan N, closed C and F plans, and the 6-month guaranteed-issue window. MedicareMedicare: The National GuideWhat is Medicare? A plain guide to Parts A, B, C, and D, who qualifies, 2026 costs, when to enroll, and what it doesn't cover, with help-paying options. MedicareOriginal Medicare vs. Medicare AdvantageCompare original Medicare vs Medicare Advantage on cost, networks, the $9,250 cap, and switching back. A neutral 2026 side-by-side to help you choose.

Find personalized help timing your Kentucky birthday window and comparing the same plan across insurers at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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