New Hampshire Medicare Supplement: Open Enrollment, Under 65 (2026)

New Hampshire Medicare Supplement rules give Part B enrollees of any age six months to buy any available Medigap policy without being turned down or priced on their health.1 New Hampshire Insurance Department (NHID) rule Ins 1905.13 starts the Medigap window on the first day of the first month of Medicare Part B enrollment and requires every policy an insurer has available to be offered "without regard to age."1 New Hampshire statute RSA 415-F:9 then bars a Medicare Supplement insurer from charging a disabled member the under-65 premium once that member turns 65.1

In This Guide

• How Does New Hampshire's Any-Age Medigap Open Enrollment Window Work?
• Will a New Hampshire Medigap Policy Cover a Pre-Existing Condition Right Away?
• Can You Buy a Medicare Supplement Under 65 in New Hampshire?
• What Triggers a New Hampshire Guaranteed Issue Right Under Ins 1905.14?
• Which Medicare Supplement Plans Can You Buy in New Hampshire?
• Should You Pick Medigap or Medicare Advantage?
• What Protections Come After You Buy?
• How Do Ins 1905.13, Ins 1905.14 and RSA 415-F Compare?
• How Do You Compare New Hampshire Medigap Rates and Get Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

How Does New Hampshire's Any-Age Medigap Open Enrollment Window Work?

The New Hampshire Medigap open enrollment window starts on the first day of the first month in which a person is enrolled for benefits under Medicare Part B, and it runs six months. Ins 1905.13 protects any application "submitted prior to or during" that six-month period.1

During the Ins 1905.13 window, a New Hampshire Medicare Supplement insurer may not:

• deny a policy or certificate available for sale in New Hampshire;
• condition when the policy is issued or takes effect;
• set the price differently because of the applicant's health status, claims experience, receipt of health care or medical condition.1

Ins 1905.13 also requires each Medicare Supplement policy and certificate currently available from an insurer to be made available to all qualifying applicants "without regard to age."1

The federal floor is narrower. Medicare's guide Choosing a Medigap Policy says the federal six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period starts the first month you have Medicare Part B and you're 65 or older.1 Section 1882 of the Social Security Act bars health-based denial or pricing for an application submitted before or during that federal window, and Medicare.gov calls the Medigap Open Enrollment Period a one-time enrollment period that doesn't repeat every year.2 Medicare's guide adds that some states have additional open enrollment periods, including ones for people under 65.1

Missing the window has a cost. Medicare's Choosing a Medigap Policy guide says that outside the Medigap Open Enrollment Period there's no guarantee an insurance company will sell you a Medigap policy if you don't meet its medical underwriting requirements, and it may deny you a policy unless you have a guaranteed issue right.1 Brevy's national guide to the Medigap open enrollment period covers the federal mechanics in more depth.

Will a New Hampshire Medigap Policy Cover a Pre-Existing Condition Right Away?

A New Hampshire Medigap policy bought in open enrollment does not always cover a pre-existing condition from the first day. A guaranteed sale under Ins 1905.13 is not the same as immediate coverage for every condition, and the answer depends on the buyer's prior health coverage.1

Ins 1905.13 sets three rules for a New Hampshire Medigap applicant in the open enrollment window:1

1. Six months or more of creditable coverage: If the applicant has had a continuous period of creditable coverage of at least six months as of the application date, the insurer shall not exclude benefits based on a preexisting condition.
2. Less than six months: The insurer must reduce any preexisting condition exclusion period by the total months of creditable coverage the applicant has.
3. The look-back: Outside those credits, the open enrollment rule does not prevent a New Hampshire Medigap policy from excluding benefits, during its first six months, for a condition the policyholder was treated for or diagnosed with in the six months before coverage became effective.

New Hampshire statute sets an outer limit as well. RSA 415-F:3 provides that a Medicare Supplement policy or certificate shall not exclude or limit benefits for a loss incurred more than six months from the effective date of coverage because the loss involved a preexisting condition.1

Gaps in prior coverage matter. Medicare's Choosing a Medigap Policy guide says prior creditable coverage counts only if the break in coverage was no more than 63 days.1 Brevy's guide to Medigap and pre-existing conditions explains the waiting-period math.

Can You Buy a Medicare Supplement Under 65 in New Hampshire?

Yes. Under Ins 1905.13, a New Hampshire Medicare Supplement insurer must make each policy it currently has available to every qualifying applicant without regard to age, as long as the application comes before or during the six months that start with the first month of Part B enrollment.1

Federal law generally doesn't require under-65 sales. Medicare's Choosing a Medigap Policy guide states that federal law generally doesn't require insurance companies to sell Medigap policies to people who are under 65, and it lists New Hampshire among the states that, when the guide was printed, required insurers to offer at least one kind of Medigap policy to people with Medicare under 65.1

New Hampshire also limits how long an under-65 rate can last. RSA 415-F:9, effective January 1, 2022, provides that when a Medicare-eligible disabled member turns 65, no insurer shall continue to charge that member the under age 65 premium. RSA 415-F:9 is written as a limit on what an insurer may "continue to charge," so it governs the premium on a Medigap policy the member already has.1

A New Hampshire Medigap buyer under 65 gets a second window at 65. Medicare's Choosing a Medigap Policy guide says a person who already has Part B still gets a Medigap Open Enrollment Period on turning 65, and will probably have more Medigap policy options and be able to get a lower premium at that time. During that age-65 window, the guide says insurance companies can't refuse to sell any Medigap policy because of a disability or other health problem, or charge a higher premium based on health status than they charge other people who are 65.1

What Triggers a New Hampshire Guaranteed Issue Right Under Ins 1905.14?

Medicare's Choosing a Medigap Policy guide defines guaranteed issue rights as your rights to buy certain Medigap policies in limited situations outside your Medigap Open Enrollment Period, and notes that you may have additional rights under your state's laws.1 In New Hampshire, NHID rule Ins 1905.14 sets those situations out. For an eligible person who applies within the guaranteed issue period, a New Hampshire Medigap insurer may not deny or condition a policy it offers to new enrollees, may not price it on health, and may not impose a preexisting condition exclusion.1

Ins 1905.14 describes these eligible people, in plain terms:1

• Employer coverage ends: You're in an employer benefit plan that supplements Medicare, and the plan ends or stops providing all of those supplemental benefits.
• A Medicare Advantage plan ends or you leave its area: The plan's certification ends, the plan stops being offered where you live, or you're no longer eligible because you moved. The New Hampshire rule excludes a termination for not paying premiums on time or for disruptive behavior.
• The plan broke the rules: You show a Medicare Advantage organization substantially violated a material contract provision or materially misrepresented the plan.
• PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly): Under Ins 1905.14, you're 65 or older, enrolled with a PACE provider, and your PACE enrollment ends in circumstances similar to the Medicare Advantage situations, such as a terminated certification, service ending where you live, or a move.
• Other plans end: Under Ins 1905.14, your enrollment in a Medicare cost plan, a similar demonstration, a health care prepayment plan or a Medicare SELECT policy ends in the same circumstances that trigger the Medicare Advantage right, such as a terminated certification, the plan leaving your area, or a move.
• Your Medigap insurer fails you: Your Medicare Supplement coverage ends because the insurer becomes insolvent or goes bankrupt, the coverage is otherwise involuntarily terminated, or the insurer substantially violated the policy or materially misrepresented it.
• A first-time trial of Medicare Advantage, PACE or Medicare SELECT: You left a Medigap policy to enroll in one of them for the first time and end that enrollment within the first 12 months.
• Medicare Advantage or PACE at 65: You enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan or with a PACE provider when first eligible for Part A at 65, and disenroll no later than 12 months after enrollment took effect.
• Part D and a drug-covering Medigap policy: You enroll in a Medicare Part D plan during the initial enrollment period while holding a Medicare Supplement policy that covers outpatient prescription drugs, and you end that policy.

Ins 1905.14 separately specifies which policies an eligible person can buy in each situation. Brevy's national guide to Medigap guaranteed issue rights explains which plans the federal situations reach.1

How long do you have to apply?

Each Ins 1905.14 guaranteed issue period ends 63 days after a date that depends on the situation, such as the date coverage terminates or the effective date of disenrollment. For certain voluntary disenrollments, the New Hampshire guaranteed issue period begins 60 days before the effective date of the disenrollment and ends 63 days after it.1

What proof do you need?

Ins 1905.14 requires the applicant to submit evidence of the date of termination or disenrollment, or of Medicare Part D enrollment, with the New Hampshire Medigap application.1 Medicare's Choosing a Medigap Policy guide tells people to keep copies of letters, notices, emails or claim denials that have their name on them as proof that coverage ended, along with the postmarked envelope the papers came in.1 The same guide says to call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to confirm you qualify for a guaranteed issue right.1

Which Medicare Supplement Plans Can You Buy in New Hampshire?

Medicare's Choosing a Medigap Policy guide charts the standardized Medigap plans as Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M and N for 2026, and states that all insurance companies that sell Medigap policies must offer at least Medigap Plan A.1

Two plan letters are closed to people new to Medicare since 2020. Medicare's guide states that Medigap plans sold to people new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 aren't allowed to cover the Part B deductible, so Plans C and F are no longer available to them; people new to Medicare on or after that date have the right to buy Plans D and G instead.1 Someone who was eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020 but hasn't yet enrolled may still be able to buy Plan C or Plan F, and Medigap Plans E, H, I and J are no longer sold, though a person who already has one can generally keep it.1

Brevy's guides to how the lettered Medigap plans work and to Plan G versus Plan N compare the letters benefit by benefit.

Should You Pick Medigap or Medicare Advantage?

A New Hampshire Medicare beneficiary uses Medigap with Original Medicare, not with a Medicare Advantage plan. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) booklet Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans sets out the federal rules:3

• You can't use Medigap to pay Medicare Advantage Plan copayments, coinsurance, deductibles or premiums.
• If you're in a Medicare Advantage Plan, it's illegal for anyone to sell you a Medigap policy unless you're switching back to Original Medicare, and the CMS booklet says to report an attempted sale to your State Insurance Department.
• In most cases, if you drop a Medigap policy to join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you may not be able to get the same policy back.

Federal law gives first-time Medicare Advantage members a way back. The CMS booklet says a person who joins a Medicare Advantage Plan for the first time and isn't happy with it has a "trial right" under federal law to buy a Medigap policy and a separate Medicare drug plan if they return to Original Medicare within 12 months of joining.3 New Hampshire's Ins 1905.14 also lists 12-month trial situations for Medicare Advantage, PACE and Medicare SELECT in its guaranteed issue list above.1 Brevy's guide to switching between Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare walks through the federal timing.

What Protections Come After You Buy?

New Hampshire statute RSA 415-F adds several consumer protections that apply once a Medicare Supplement policy is sold:1

• 30-day free look: RSA 415-F:6 requires a notice on the first page of a New Hampshire Medicare Supplement policy, or attached to it, saying the applicant may return the policy within 30 days of delivery and have the premium refunded if not satisfied for any reason. The insurer must pay the refund directly to the applicant in a timely manner.
• Outline of coverage at application: RSA 415-F:5 bars delivery of a Medicare Supplement policy in New Hampshire unless an outline of coverage was delivered when the application was made. The outline must state the renewal provisions, any right the insurer reserves to change premiums, and any automatic renewal premium increases based on the policyholder's age.
• No duplicate benefits: RSA 415-F:3 provides that no Medicare Supplement policy in force in New Hampshire shall contain benefits that duplicate benefits provided by Medicare.

Federal law backs the free look. Section 1882(c)(4) of the Social Security Act lets a Medigap policy be returned for a full refund of premiums during a period of at least 30 days after it is issued, and Medicare's Choosing a Medigap Policy guide says the 30-day free look period starts when you get your new Medigap policy.4,1

Switching later is harder. Medicare.gov says that, under federal rights, in most cases you won't be able to switch your Medigap policy outside your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period unless you have a guaranteed issue right, and switching outside it may mean paying more and answering medical questions.4 Section 1882(s)(2)(C) of the Social Security Act provides that when a Medigap policy replaces one that has been in effect for six months or longer, the new policy may not impose a new preexisting condition, waiting, elimination or probationary period for similar benefits.4 Brevy's guide to how Medigap premiums are priced covers what to ask about a quote.

How Do Ins 1905.13, Ins 1905.14 and RSA 415-F Compare?

The New Hampshire Medigap table summarizes Ins 1905.13, Ins 1905.14, RSA 415-F and Section 1882; the sections above give the exact wording and limits.1,2

How Do You Compare New Hampshire Medigap Rates and Get Help?

• NHID Medicare Supplement Rate Dashboard: The New Hampshire Insurance Department's Medicare Supplement Rate Dashboard lets you filter and compare monthly Medicare Supplement premium rates by gender, age, plan type and preferred company. The NHID dashboard page notes that some companies have pre-existing condition waiting periods and some offer discounts.1
• NHID by phone: The New Hampshire Insurance Department lists its phone number as (603) 271-2261, with TDD access at (800) 735-2964. Medicare's Choosing a Medigap Policy guide tells people denied Medigap coverage in a guaranteed issue situation to call their State Insurance Department, which in New Hampshire is NHID.1
• Free counseling: Medicare's Choosing a Medigap Policy guide says to visit shiphelp.org to get the number for your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program.1
• 1-800-MEDICARE: For Original Medicare questions, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is the official line run by CMS, and TTY users call 1-877-486-2048; Medicare.gov says callers can reach a real person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays.5

Brevy's New Hampshire Medicare hub covers local counseling and the rest of Medicare in the state.

Learn More

Find personalized help timing your New Hampshire Medigap window and checking a guaranteed issue right 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.