Washington lets an existing Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policyholder switch to another plan in the same plan group at any time of year, with no new health screening. That year-round switching right is more generous than the once-a-year birthday-rule windows other states use, and Washington itself has no birthday-rule window at all. So if you already hold a Medigap plan here and your rate climbs or a competitor offers the same coverage for less, you can move whenever it makes sense. This guide explains Washington's year-round switching right, how it differs from a birthday rule, how the standardized plan letters fit together, which plans are closed to people new to Medicare, and who regulates Medigap in the state.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Compare Medigap Plan Benefits. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jul 22, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap/basics/compare-plan-benefits
How Medigap works in Washington
A Medigap policy is private insurance that pays the deductibles and coinsurance Original Medicare leaves to you. Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) works only alongside Original Medicare, not with a Medicare Advantage plan, and each policy covers one person. A married couple who both want coverage need two policies.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Compare Medigap Plan Benefits. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jul 22, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap/basics/compare-plan-benefits
Washington uses the federal standardized framework. Medigap is sold as lettered plans, A-D, F, G, and K-N, and the benefits inside each letter are fixed by federal rule. Plans E, H, I, and J are no longer sold, though anyone who already holds one can generally keep it.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Compare Medigap Plan Benefits. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jul 22, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap/basics/compare-plan-benefits A Plan G from one Washington insurer covers exactly what a Plan G from another covers. Insurers compete on price, service, and rate stability, not on what the plan pays. That makes the plan letter your first decision and the insurer your second.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Compare Medigap Plan Benefits. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jul 22, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap/basics/compare-plan-benefits
The gaps Medigap closes are real. After the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), Original Medicare leaves you 20% of the approved amount as coinsurance on most outpatient care, with no annual cap. Part A adds a hospital deductible of $1,736 per benefit period in 2026, and that deductible can apply more than once in a year. Medigap caps that exposure.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2026). 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles. cms.gov. Retrieved Aug 7, 2026, from https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2026-medicare-parts-b-premiums-deductibles
Washington's year-round switching right
Washington's standout protection is not a once-a-year window but a continuous one. Under Washington rules, a beneficiary may apply to change Medigap plans at any time of year, and a switch is guaranteed without a written health-screening questionnaire as long as it stays within the same plan group, according to the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner. A person enrolled in any Plan B through N may switch to any other Plan B through N, and a person with Plan A may switch to another Plan A, in both cases without passing a health screen. The OIC states one carve-out on the same page, and it matters: if you are moving to Medigap from some other type of health insurance plan rather than from another Medigap policy, the rules can vary and an insurer may require you to pass a written health screening questionnaire.app.leg.wa.gov. (n.d.). RCW 48.66.045 — Mandated coverage for replacement policies; Rates on a community-rated basis (Washington State Legislature). Retrieved Jul 30, 2026, from https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=48.66.045
The practical value is timing freedom. In a birthday-rule state you have to wait for a short annual window and act inside it. In Washington, an existing policyholder can move at any point in the year, so if your insurer raises its rate or a competitor offers the same coverage for less, you can switch right away. Because the benefits inside a letter are identical across insurers, that switch moves your premium and company without changing what the plan pays.
The plan group is the key thing to understand. The OIC states the no-screening right for switches within the B-through-N group, or within Plan A. Whether it also covers moving up from Plan A into the richer B-through-N group is not something the OIC's consumer guidance or RCW 48.66.045 settles on its face, so do not assume you would be screened, and do not assume you would not: ask the OIC or a free SHIBA counselor about your specific move. One limit that IS certain: if you became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, the statute's guaranteed-issue list for replacement policies covers plans B, D, G, G with high deductible, K, L, M and N, and does not include Plan C or Plan F. That matches what CMS says: Medigap policies 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. New buyers outside a protected enrollment period may also face medical screening, so the strongest flexibility belongs to people who already hold a plan.
How to switch in Washington
Because there is no window to wait for, the steps focus on staying inside the protected group.app.leg.wa.gov. (n.d.). RCW 48.66.045 — Mandated coverage for replacement policies; Rates on a community-rated basis (Washington State Legislature). Retrieved Jul 30, 2026, from https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=48.66.045
Confirm you already hold a Medigap plan
The year-round no-screening right is for existing policyholders. New buyers outside a protected period may face screening.
Stay within your plan group
If you have a Plan B through N, you can switch to any other B through N plan without a written health screen. If you have Plan A, you can switch to another Plan A. If you want to move up from Plan A into the B-through-N group, ask the OIC or a SHIBA counselor first, because the rules do not clearly settle that direction.
Compare and apply any time
Benefits inside a letter are identical across insurers, so compare price, service, and rate-increase history, then apply whenever you find a better deal. Tell the insurer you are switching under Washington's rules.
Keep the old policy until the new one starts
Don't cancel existing coverage until the new policy is confirmed and in force, so you're never uninsured.
Plan G and Plan N: the common choices
For someone newly eligible for Medicare, the practical choice in Washington narrows to two plans.
Plan G is still available to people who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, the date Plans C and F closed to the newly eligible. It covers the same benefits as Plan F except the annual Part B deductible: the Part A hospital deductible, Part A and Part B coinsurance, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, and Part B excess charges. After you pay that one Part B deductible for the year, a Plan G holder generally has no further cost-sharing on Medicare-covered services in the United States. Foreign travel emergency care is the exception: Plan G covers it at 80% up to plan limits.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 Aug 22, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-choosing-a-medigap-policy.pdf
Plan N covers the same major gaps but shifts a little cost back to you. It pays the Part B coinsurance except for a copay of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency-room visits that don't lead to an inpatient admission, and it does not cover Part B excess charges. In exchange, Plan N premiums are usually lower than Plan G premiums.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Compare Medigap Plan Benefits. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jul 22, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap/basics/compare-plan-benefits
Because both Plan G and Plan N sit inside the B-through-N group, a Washington policyholder can move between them at any time of year without a health screen.
| Feature | Plan G | Plan N |
|---|---|---|
| Part A hospital deductible | Covered | Covered |
| Part B coinsurance | Covered in full | Covered, minus up to $20 office / $50 ER copays |
| Part B excess charges | Covered | Not covered |
| Annual Part B deductible ($283 in 2026) | You pay it | You pay it |
| Skilled nursing facility coinsurance | Covered | Covered |
| Relative premium | Higher | Lower than Plan G |
Plans C and F are closed if you became eligible for Medicare in 2020 or later
Plans C and F once covered the annual Part B deductible on top of the other gaps, which made Plan F the most complete plan on the market. Under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), any Medigap plan that pays the Part B deductible is closed to people who first became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020.
The closure works by eligibility date, not purchase date. If you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020 but haven't yet enrolled, you may still be able to buy Plan C or Plan F in Washington, and if you already hold one you can keep it.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Compare Medigap Plan Benefits. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jul 22, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap/basics/compare-plan-benefits If you became eligible on or after that date, those two plans are off the table, which is why Plan G has become the default top-tier choice for newer enrollees: it's identical to Plan F except that you pay the one Part B deductible yourself.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2026). Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare (CMS/NAIC, 2026) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Aug 22, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf
When you can buy or switch in Washington
Washington gives you more than one protected path. Three matter most.
- The federal Medigap Open Enrollment Period. This is a one-time, six-month window that begins the first month you're both age 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. During it, insurers must sell you any Medigap policy they offer regardless of your health, with no medical underwriting and no higher price because you have health problems. This is the single best time to buy, because you can choose any plan, including Plan G.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 Aug 22, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-choosing-a-medigap-policy.pdf
- Washington's year-round switching right. Beyond the federal window, an existing policyholder can switch within the same plan group at any time with no health screening, as described above.
- Federal guaranteed-issue rights. Certain life events, such as losing other coverage or an insurer leaving the market, trigger a federal guaranteed-issue right to buy specific plans without underwriting.
Outside these paths, a Washington insurer can require medical underwriting and charge more, or decline to sell you a policy, based on your health, which is most likely to affect new buyers and people trying to gain benefits. That is why the choice between Plan G and Plan N is best made during your six-month open enrollment, when you can pick any plan without screening.
What Medigap costs and how it's priced in Washington
Medigap premiums vary widely. Every policy with the same letter offers the same basic benefits regardless of the insurer, but the price is not fixed the same way.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Compare Medigap Plan Benefits. medicare.gov. Retrieved Jul 22, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap/basics/compare-plan-benefits Medicare says a Medigap premium varies based on which policy you buy, where you live, and other factors, and that the amount can change each year.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2026). 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles. cms.gov. Retrieved Aug 7, 2026, from https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2026-medicare-parts-b-premiums-deductibles CMS names some of those other factors: where you live, medical underwriting, and discounts, on top of the rating method the insurer uses.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CMS Pub. 02110 — Choosing a Medigap Policy (how insurance companies set prices). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jul 10, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf So the price you are quoted is worth comparing across companies, and for what Washington itself allows, check with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner or a free SHIBA counselor rather than assuming the plan letter fixes your price.
Insurers price a policy under one of three rating methods, which shapes how your premium changes as you age:
- Community-rated (also called no-age-rated) policies generally charge everyone the same premium, regardless of age or gender. The premium can still go up because of inflation and other factors, just not because of your age.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CMS Pub. 02110 — Choosing a Medigap Policy (how insurance companies set prices). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jul 10, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf
- Issue-age-rated (also called entry-age-rated) policies base the premium on the age you are when you buy. It can go up because of inflation and other factors, but not because you enter an older age bracket.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CMS Pub. 02110 — Choosing a Medigap Policy (how insurance companies set prices). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jul 10, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf
- Attained-age-rated policies base the premium on your current age, so it goes up as you get older. These may be the least expensive at first, but they can eventually become the most expensive.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). CMS Pub. 02110 — Choosing a Medigap Policy (how insurance companies set prices). medicare.gov. Retrieved Jul 10, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf
Ask which method each insurer uses, not just the first-year premium. Washington's year-round switching right pairs well with this: if your attained-age policy climbs, you can move to a cheaper carrier within the same plan group at any time, without a health screen. Be clear about what that right does, though: it is a right to switch without a health screen, not a promise about the number on the quote, so price the actual policy before you apply.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2026). 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles. cms.gov. Retrieved Aug 7, 2026, from https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2026-medicare-parts-b-premiums-deductibles Note that Medigap does not include prescription drug coverage, so you add a separate Part D plan for that.
Who regulates Medigap in Washington
Washington's Medigap rules come from state law, chiefly RCW 48.66, and from the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, which publishes the state's Medigap consumer guidance, including the switching rules above. If you have a question or a complaint about a specific policy, that is the office to contact.app.leg.wa.gov. (n.d.). RCW 48.66.045 — Mandated coverage for replacement policies; Rates on a community-rated basis (Washington State Legislature). Retrieved Jul 30, 2026, from https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=48.66.045
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Washington have a Medigap birthday rule?
No. Washington does not use an annual birthday-rule window. Instead, an existing Medigap policyholder can switch within the same plan group at any time of year without a health screening, per the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner. For existing holders, this is more flexible than a birthday rule.
Can I switch my Washington Medigap plan with no health screening?
Yes, if you stay within the same plan group. A person enrolled in any Plan B through N can switch to another B-through-N plan, and a Plan A holder can switch to another Plan A, with no written health screening questionnaire. Moving up from Plan A into the B-through-N group is a different question that the OIC's guidance and the statute do not clearly answer, so check with the OIC or a free SHIBA counselor rather than assuming. Note too that if you became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020, the statute's guaranteed-issue list does not include Plan C or Plan F.app.leg.wa.gov. (n.d.). RCW 48.66.045 — Mandated coverage for replacement policies; Rates on a community-rated basis (Washington State Legislature). Retrieved Jul 30, 2026, from https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=48.66.045
Can a new buyer switch freely in Washington?
The year-round no-screening right is strongest for people who already hold a Medigap plan. New buyers outside a protected period, such as the federal six-month open enrollment, may still face medical screening when they apply.
Can I still buy Plan F in Washington?
Only if you first became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Plans C and F, which cover the Part B deductible, are closed to anyone who became eligible on or after that date under MACRA. Plan G is the closest available alternative; it's identical to Plan F except that you pay the annual Part B deductible yourself.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2026). Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare (CMS/NAIC, 2026) - Medicare.gov. medicare.gov. Retrieved Aug 22, 2026, from https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-insurance.pdf
Who regulates Medigap in Washington?
Washington's Medigap rules come from state law, chiefly RCW 48.66, and from the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, which publishes the state's Medigap consumer guidance. That office is where to take a question or a complaint about a specific policy.
Learn More
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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.