Open Enrollment for Disabled Under 65 for Medicare Starts June 1st

With the passage of Public Act 95-0436, persons under 65 with disabilities who become eligible for Medicare will have additional rights. Beginning June 1, 2008, Illinoisans under age 65 who receive Medicare because of disabilities have the same open enrollment rights as seniors. That is to say, a person under 65 who qualifies for Medicare because of disabilities and who applies for a Medigap policy within six months after enrolling in Medicare Part B has a six-month open enrollment period beginning the day they enroll in Medicare Part B.

During open enrollment, a company must allow you to buy any of the Medigap plans it offers. This right is also available for persons who are retroactively enrolled in Medicare Part B due to a retroactive eligibility decision made by the Social Security Administration if they apply within 6 months after receiving notice of retroactive eligibility.Open enrollment will apply to all under 65 Medicare eligible individuals even if they have existing Medicare supplement insurance.

If you fit this description you will be able to choose from any plan offered by companies selling Medicare Supplement insurance in Illinois until December 1, 2008. Loss of Other Coverage. In addition, if you are under 65 and on Medicare, but declined a Medigap policy because you were still covered under an employer group health plan, you will have a 63 day open enrollment period if the employer plan terminates or ceases to provide health benefits that supplement Medicare.

Similarly, if you are either currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan or have a Medigap policy and the insurance company goes out of business, withdraws from the market, or misrepresented the product you purchased, you also will be eligible for a 63 day open enrollment period under most circumstances (see Guaranteed Issue Right below).

Cost of Coverage. For persons under 65 that become eligible to purchase a Medigap policy, companies may not be charge a rate higher than the highest rate on the company’s current rate schedule filed with the Illinois Division of Insurance.