If you live in Maine, you have more ways to buy or switch a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy without medical underwriting than federal law alone provides. The Maine Bureau of Insurance gives residents several guaranteed-issue rights that go beyond the standard six-month window, so a health condition does not have to lock you out. This guide walks through each one for 2026.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS/NAIC, 2025) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf
In This Guide
- Key Takeaways
- What Guaranteed Issue Means
- Maine's Extra Protections
- Your Guaranteed-Issue Rights at a Glance
- Medicare Advantage Protections
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Guaranteed Issue Means for Maine Medigap Buyers
Guaranteed issue means an insurer must sell you a Medigap policy regardless of your health. It cannot review your medical history, charge you more because of a condition, or turn you down. The opposite is medical underwriting, where the insurer can ask health questions and decline you or raise your rate. Medicare sets the federal baseline for these rights through its Medigap program, and each state can add its own protections on top.
Under federal rules, your one guaranteed-issue window for any plan is the Medigap Open Enrollment Period: the one-time six months that begin the first month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. During those six months an insurer must sell you any plan it offers, at its best available rate, with no medical underwriting.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare (CMS/NAIC, 2025) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf That window applies in Maine, too.
What sets Maine apart is what happens after those six months close. In many states, you face underwriting once your initial window ends. Maine adds several standing protections that keep guaranteed issue available in situations the federal rules do not cover.
Maine's Extra Medigap Guaranteed-Issue Protections
The Maine Bureau of Insurance regulates Medicare Supplement policies in the state and enforces the rights below.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS/NAIC, 2025) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf
The annual Plan A guaranteed-issue month
Every Medigap insurer in Maine must designate at least one month each year during which it will accept any applicant for its Plan A policy on a guaranteed-issue basis, with no medical underwriting. This applies even if you are outside any federal open enrollment period. Each insurer chooses its own month, and the Bureau of Insurance publishes the schedule so you can see which companies are open and when.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS/NAIC, 2025) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf
If you missed your federal window or were declined elsewhere, the annual Plan A month is a reliable way back in. Check the Bureau's schedule, find an insurer whose month is coming up, and apply for Plan A during that month.
The continuing right to switch to equal or lesser benefits
Maine residents have a standing right to change Medicare Supplement plans, to the same insurer or a different one, as long as two conditions hold:
- The new plan has the same or lesser benefits than your current plan.
- You have never had a gap of more than 90 days in coverage that supplements Medicare since your Medigap Open Enrollment Period.
This is a continuing right, not a once-a-year window. If you keep your supplemental coverage without a break longer than 90 days, you can switch or drop a Medigap policy and move to a same-or-lesser plan when it makes sense for you. Because the protection runs in the direction of equal or lesser benefits, it is a tool for finding a better fit or a lower-benefit plan, not for upgrading to richer coverage without underwriting.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS/NAIC, 2025) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf
90-day guaranteed issue when you lose other coverage
If you lose certain other coverage, a Maine insurer must issue you a Medigap policy as long as you apply within 90 days. This covers loss of:
- An individual health insurance plan (fixed-indemnity and short-term plans do not count).
- An employee welfare benefit plan, meaning employer group health coverage.
- MaineCare, Maine's Medicaid program.
The 90-day clock runs from when the other coverage ends, so apply promptly.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS/NAIC, 2025) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf
Your Guaranteed-Issue Rights at a Glance
Maine gives residents six distinct guaranteed-issue paths to a Medigap policy in 2026, each with its own trigger and deadline. The table below summarizes when you can buy or switch without medical underwriting.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS/NAIC, 2025) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf
| Situation | Your right | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| You are 65+ and newly enrolled in Part B | Buy any Medigap plan, guaranteed issue | 6 months from the start of Part B |
| You want any insurer's Plan A, anytime | Buy that insurer's Plan A, guaranteed issue, during its designated month | One designated month each year, set by the insurer |
| You want to switch to an equal or lesser plan | Change plans, same or different insurer, guaranteed issue | Ongoing, if no gap over 90 days in supplemental coverage since OEP |
| You lose an individual, employer, or MaineCare plan | Buy a Medigap policy, guaranteed issue | Apply within 90 days of losing coverage |
| Your Medicare Advantage plan leaves your area | Buy any Medigap plan sold in Maine, guaranteed issue | Apply within 90 days |
| You used a Medicare Advantage trial right at 65 | Return to Original Medicare and buy any plan, guaranteed issue | Within 36 months of joining MA, then 90 days to buy |
Medicare Advantage Protections
Maine's guaranteed-issue rules also protect people moving between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
If your Medicare Advantage plan stops providing benefits in your service area, you have 90 days to buy any Medigap plan currently sold in Maine on a guaranteed-issue basis.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS/NAIC, 2025) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf
Maine also recognizes a 36-month Medicare Advantage trial right. If you first join Medicare Advantage during your initial enrollment at 65 and then return to Original Medicare within 36 months, you may buy any Medigap plan within 90 days after the Advantage coverage ends. This gives first-time enrollees room to try Medicare Advantage and still keep a clean path back to a supplement.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS/NAIC, 2025) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I switch Medigap plans in Maine without underwriting?
Yes, within limits. Maine gives residents a continuing right to change Medicare Supplement plans, to the same or a different insurer, as long as the new plan has the same or lesser benefits and you have never had a gap of more than 90 days in coverage that supplements Medicare since your Medigap Open Enrollment Period.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS/NAIC, 2025) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf Because it runs toward equal or lesser benefits, it is a way to find a better-fitting or lower-benefit plan without health questions, not a way to upgrade to richer coverage.
What is the annual Plan A guaranteed-issue month?
Every Medigap insurer in Maine must pick at least one month each year when it will accept any applicant for its Plan A policy on a guaranteed-issue basis, with no medical underwriting, even if you are outside a federal enrollment period. The insurer chooses the month, and the Maine Bureau of Insurance publishes the schedule.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS/NAIC, 2025) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf If you missed your federal window, this is a dependable way to get covered.
I am losing my employer plan. Can I get Medigap?
Yes. If you lose employer group health coverage, a Maine insurer must issue you a Medigap policy as long as you apply within 90 days of the coverage ending. The same 90-day guaranteed-issue right applies if you lose an individual health plan (other than fixed-indemnity or short-term coverage) or MaineCare.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS/NAIC, 2025) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf Apply promptly, since the clock starts when your other coverage ends.
Does Maine help if my Medicare Advantage plan leaves?
Yes. If your Medicare Advantage plan stops providing benefits in your service area, you have 90 days to buy any Medigap plan currently sold in Maine on a guaranteed-issue basis. Maine also recognizes a 36-month trial right: if you first joined Medicare Advantage at 65 and return to Original Medicare within 36 months, you can buy any plan within 90 days after that coverage ends.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS/NAIC, 2025) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf
Learn More
Your next step: check the Maine Bureau of Insurance's Medicare Supplement page to see the current guaranteed-issue month schedule and confirm which insurers are open, then apply directly with a licensed Medigap carrier during the window that fits your situation.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2025). Choosing a Medigap Policy (CMS/NAIC, 2025) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jun 23, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf To map out your options as a Maine resident, you can also find personalized Medicare help 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.