Wyoming's insurance regulator says a 2025 rule gives Wyoming Medicare Supplement policyholders 63 days, starting on their birthday, to pick another plan without medical underwriting. Under the rule text the Wyoming Department of Insurance (DOI) proposed in 2024, Wyoming's 63-day Medigap birthday right covers a policy with comparable or lesser benefits from any insurer, so a Wyoming policyholder who wants richer coverage through the birthday window still goes through medical underwriting. For Medigap applicants in the age-65 open enrollment window, Wyoming's Chapter 35 rule text as proposed allows a pre-existing condition exclusion only during a policy's first 90 days, for a condition treated or diagnosed in the 90 days before coverage began.

In This Guide

What Is Wyoming's Medigap Birthday Rule?

Wyoming now has a Medigap birthday rule. The Wyoming Department of Insurance's Commissioner's Corner states that in 2025 the Department implemented the Birthday Rule for Medicare Supplement policyholders, a provision that lets individuals evaluate and select alternative Medicare Supplement plans beginning on their birthday and continuing for 63 days, without medical underwriting.

The detailed wording comes from the Department's proposed amendment of Chapter 35 (Medicare Supplement Insurance) of its rules, Docket No. 24-66, as filed with the Wyoming Legislative Service Office. The section wording this guide quotes comes from that proposal filing, and the rest of this guide refers to it as the proposed Chapter 35 text or by section number. The rule as proposed adds a guaranteed issue right in Section 12(b)(ix) with these terms:

  • Who qualifies: A person enrolled in a Medicare Supplement policy who, on or after June 1, 2025, voluntarily ends that enrollment and enrolls in another Medicare Supplement policy.
  • When the window runs: The guaranteed issue period begins on the person's birthday and ends 63 days after it.
  • What the right covers: Any comparable or lesser Medicare policy offered by any issuer, so the new policy can come from a different insurance company.
  • What counts as comparable or lesser: A Medigap policy is treated as having comparable or lesser benefits unless it contains one or more significant benefits not included in the policy being replaced.

The sources this guide relies on do not spell out whether Wyoming's birthday rule has an age limit, what notice insurers must give, when the new coverage starts, or which lettered plans count as comparable to each other. Before you apply, ask the DOI's Consumer Affairs Section, listed in Who Can Help You Compare Wyoming Medicare Supplement Policies?, to confirm how the rule applies to your policy. The Wyoming DOI's Consumers page also links a Medigap "Birthday Rule" Resource Sheet under its Medicare and SHIIP heading. Brevy's guide to Idaho's Medigap birthday rule shows how a neighboring state handles the same kind of window.

When Is Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period in Wyoming?

Your one protected window at 65 is the Medigap Open Enrollment Period. Section 11 (Open Enrollment) of Wyoming's proposed Chapter 35 text covers an application submitted before or during the six-month period beginning with the first day of the first month in which a person is both 65 or older and enrolled for benefits under Medicare Part B. For that applicant, Section 11 bars a Wyoming Medigap issuer from:

  • denying or conditioning the issuance or effectiveness of any Medicare Supplement policy available for sale in Wyoming;
  • discriminating in the policy's price because of the applicant's health status, claims experience, receipt of health care, or medical condition.

Federal law sets the same six-month timing. Section 1882 of the Social Security Act, at §1882(s)(2)(A), bars a Medigap issuer from denying, conditioning, or pricing a policy on health for an application submitted before or during the six months beginning with the first month a person is 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. Medicare.gov says the Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a one-time enrollment period that doesn't repeat every year, unlike the Medicare Open Enrollment Period.

Missing the six-month window changes the terms. Outside the Medigap Open Enrollment Period, Medicare.gov says you may pay more, fewer policies may be available, and an insurance company is allowed to deny you a policy if you don't meet its medical underwriting requirements. Brevy's national guide to the Medigap open enrollment period walks through the federal mechanics.

Can a Pre-Existing Condition Delay Your Wyoming Medigap Coverage?

A guaranteed sale does not always mean every condition is covered on day one. Section 11 of Wyoming's proposed Chapter 35 text sets three rules for a Medigap applicant in the age-65 open enrollment window:

  1. Six months or more of creditable coverage: An issuer may not exclude benefits based on a pre-existing condition for an applicant who has had a continuous period of creditable coverage of at least six months as of the application date.
  2. Less than six months: The issuer must reduce any pre-existing condition exclusion period by the total time of the applicant's creditable coverage.
  3. The 90-day limit otherwise: Except as those provisions and Sections 12 and 23 provide, the Wyoming rule text permits a pre-existing condition exclusion only during a policy's first 90 days, and only for a condition the policyholder was treated for or diagnosed with in the 90 days before coverage took effect.

Wyoming's 90-day wording is shorter than the national description. Medicare's guide Choosing a Medigap Policy, published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), says a Medigap insurer can in some cases refuse to cover out-of-pocket costs for pre-existing health problems for up to 6 months, and only for a condition treated or diagnosed within 6 months before Medigap coverage starts. The same CMS guide notes that you may have additional rights under state law.

Records of your earlier coverage matter for the creditable-coverage offset. A Wyoming applicant moving to Medicare from job-based or other health coverage should keep the dates that coverage started and ended, because Section 11 measures the offset by the length of creditable coverage. Brevy's guide to Medigap and pre-existing conditions explains the look-back in more depth.

Can You Buy Medigap Under 65 in Wyoming?

Possibly, though no rule this guide cites guarantees it. Medicare's Choosing a Medigap Policy guide states that federal law generally doesn't require insurance companies to sell Medigap policies to people under 65. The same CMS guide prints a list of states that, when it was printed, required insurers to offer at least one kind of Medigap policy to people with Medicare under 65, and Wyoming is not on that list.

Medicare.gov adds that people under 65 who have Medicare because of a disability or End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) might not be able to buy a Medigap policy until they turn 65. For a Wyomingite in that position, the CMS guide describes these possibilities:

  • Voluntary sellers: Even if your state isn't listed, some insurance companies may voluntarily sell Medigap policies to people under 65, though those policies will probably cost more than policies sold to people over 65 and will probably use medical underwriting.
  • Some federal rights: Some of the federal guaranteed issue rights are available to people with Medicare under 65.
  • State rights: CMS tells readers to check with their State Insurance Department about additional rights under state law.
  • A second window at 65: A person who already has Medicare Part B will still get a Medigap Open Enrollment Period on turning 65.

Wyoming's rule text leaves room for a disability product. Wyoming's proposed Chapter 35 text lets a Medigap issuer, with the commissioner's approval, offer up to four additional policy forms for the same standard benefit plan, one of which may be for people eligible for Medicare by reason of disability. That provision describes what an insurer may file, so ask the DOI or WSHIIP which insurers currently sell Medigap to Wyoming residents under 65.

What Other Rights Let You Switch or Buy Later?

Outside your birthday window and your age-65 window, federal rules set the floor. Medicare.gov's page on how to switch or drop a Medigap policy says its answers cover only federal rights, and that in most cases you won't be able to switch Medigap policies outside your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period unless you have a guaranteed issue right. A Medigap buyer who switches outside that period may have to pay more for the new policy and answer some medical questions, according to Medicare.gov.

Three federal protections still apply to any Medigap switch that goes through:

  • No new waiting period after six months: Under Social Security Act §1882(s)(2)(C), if a Medigap policy replaces one that has been in effect for 6 months or longer, the replacing policy may not impose a new pre-existing condition, waiting, elimination, or probationary period for similar benefits.
  • A 30-day refund: Under §1882(c)(4), a Medigap policy may be returned for a full refund of any premiums paid during a period of at least 30 days after it is issued.
  • A warning on dropping coverage: Medicare.gov says that if you drop your Medigap policy, you might not be able to get it or any policy back later.

Brevy's national guide to Medigap guaranteed issue rights explains the federal situations that create a guaranteed issue right and which policies each one reaches; for Wyoming's own list, ask the DOI's Consumer Affairs Section.

Which Medicare Supplement Plans Can You Buy in Wyoming?

Medigap plans are standardized by letter. Medicare's Choosing a Medigap Policy guide charts Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N, and says all insurance companies that sell Medigap policies must offer at least Plan A. The Wyoming DOI's Consumers page also links a 2026 Wyoming Medicare Supplement Buyers Guide.

The 2020 federal change to Plans C and F applies in Wyoming as everywhere:

  • Closed to newcomers: 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 aren't available to those people.
  • The alternative: People new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 have the right to buy Plans D and G instead, which give the same benefits without covering the Part B deductible.
  • Who counts as new: For this rule, a person is new to Medicare if they turned 65 on or after January 1, 2020 and got Medicare Part A on or after January 1, 2020.
  • Older eligibility: A person eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020 who hasn't yet enrolled may be able to buy Plan C or Plan F.
  • Retired letters: Plans E, H, I, and J are no longer sold, but someone who already has one can generally keep it.

On the CMS guide's benefit chart, only Plans F and G cover the Part B excess charge. 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 Choose Medigap or Medicare Advantage?

Medigap and Medicare Advantage do not combine. The CMS booklet Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans describes Medigap as extra insurance bought from a private company to help pay your share of costs in Original Medicare, and says you can't use Medigap to pay Medicare Advantage Plan copayments, coinsurance, deductibles, or premiums.

The same CMS booklet sets out these federal rules for Wyoming residents weighing the two:

  • Illegal sale: 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 a seller who tries should be reported to your State Insurance Department.
  • Hard to get back: In most cases, a person who drops a Medigap policy to join a Medicare Advantage Plan may not be able to get the same policy back.
  • The 12-month trial right: A person who joins a Medicare Advantage Plan for the first time and isn't happy with it has a federal "trial right" to buy a Medigap policy and a separate Medicare drug plan if they return to Original Medicare within 12 months of joining.

Brevy's guides to Medicare Advantage trial rights and to Original Medicare versus Medicare Advantage cover the choice in more detail.

Which Wyoming Medigap Rule Applies to You?

Your situation Rule Timing Source
Wyoming Medigap policyholder with a birthday coming up Switch to a comparable or lesser policy from any issuer without underwriting Starts on your birthday and runs 63 days Wyoming DOI; Chapter 35 Section 12(b)(ix) as proposed
Wyoming policyholder who wants richer benefits The birthday right covers only comparable or lesser benefits, so medical underwriting still applies Even during the 63-day birthday window Wyoming DOI statement of reasons
65 or older and newly in Part B No denial, conditions, or health-based pricing on any policy for sale Six months from the first month you are both 65 and in Part B Chapter 35 Section 11 as proposed; SSA §1882(s)(2)(A)
Open enrollment applicant with under six months of creditable coverage Exclusion limited to the first 90 days and reduced by prior coverage First 90 days of the policy Chapter 35 Section 11 as proposed
Under 65 with Medicare Wyoming not on CMS's printed under-65 list; some insurers may sell voluntarily New Medigap Open Enrollment Period at 65 CMS Choosing a Medigap Policy
First-time Medicare Advantage enrollee who wants out Federal trial right to buy Medigap Within 12 months of joining CMS Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans
New Medigap policy you regret Full premium refund At least 30 days after issue SSA §1882(c)(4)

The table condenses the Wyoming DOI's birthday-rule statement, the proposed Chapter 35 text, and the federal Medigap rules; the sections above carry the exact wording and limits.,,,

Who Can Help You Compare Wyoming Medicare Supplement Policies?

Medicare's Choosing a Medigap Policy guide tells readers to call their State Insurance Department or State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for state-specific information. In Wyoming, those contacts are:

Brevy's Wyoming Medicare hub covers the rest of Medicare in the state, and Brevy's guide to Wyoming Medicare Savings Programs explains help with Medicare costs for people with limited income.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I have in hand before I use my Wyoming birthday window?

Have your current Medigap policy's benefit description ready, because Wyoming's proposed Chapter 35 text measures comparable or lesser benefits against the Medicare Supplement policy being replaced. Medicare.gov warns that a person who drops a Medigap policy might not be able to get it or any policy back later, so keep your current policy in force until the new insurer confirms your coverage.

Can my Wyoming birthday-window switch be to a different insurance company?

Yes, under the rule text the Wyoming DOI proposed: the Section 12(b)(ix) birthday right includes any comparable or lesser Medicare policy offered by any issuer. The new insurer's policy counts as comparable or lesser unless it contains one or more significant benefits not included in the Medicare Supplement policy being replaced, so ask the Wyoming DOI's Consumer Affairs Section to confirm before you apply.,

An insurer turned down my Wyoming birthday-rule application. What should I ask?

Ask the insurer to explain in writing whether it treated the policy you applied for as having more significant benefits than your current one, since Wyoming's proposed rule text counts a policy as comparable or lesser unless it adds one or more significant benefits. Then call the Wyoming DOI's Consumer Affairs Section at 800-438-5768, which the Department says is available to help with questions about your insurance policy.

I've had Medicare on disability for years and turn 65 soon. Do I get a new chance to buy Medigap in Wyoming?

Yes. Medicare's Choosing a Medigap Policy guide says a person who already has Medicare Part B will still get a Medigap Open Enrollment Period on turning 65. Wyoming's proposed Chapter 35 rule text protects an application made before or during the six months that begin with the first month you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B.

Learn More

MedicareMedicare Plans and Coverage in WyomingMedicare in Wyoming for 2026: Parts A and B, Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap, free WSHIIP counseling, and the state's Medicare Savings Programs. MedicareMedigap (Medicare Supplement): How the Lettered Plans WorkMedigap (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. MedicareMedigap Guaranteed Issue Rights: When an Insurer Must Sell You a PolicyMedigap guaranteed issue rights are federal situations where an insurer must sell you a policy, no health questions. See the triggers and the 63-day deadline. MedicareSuspending Your Medigap Policy When You Qualify for MedicaidIf you get Medicaid, you can suspend your Medigap policy for up to 24 months instead of dropping it, then reinstate it later with no new medical underwriting. MedicareMedigap in Montana: Open Enrollment, Guaranteed Issue, and Buying a Medicare SupplementMontana Medicare Supplement guide: six-month open enrollment, Medigap under 65, the 63-day right when an insurer leaves, and the 30-day free look for a refund. MedicareYour Guide to Buying Medigap in Colorado: Open Enrollment, Under 65 and Guaranteed IssueColorado Medigap rules from Regulation 4-3-1: the six-month open enrollment window, the under-65 right, guaranteed-issue windows and free Colorado SHIP help.

Find personalized help timing Wyoming's Medigap birthday window and comparing Medicare Supplement policies 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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