What must members of a Medicare Advantage plan do in order to enroll in a Medicare supplement insurance plan?

To enroll in a Medicare supplement insurance plan, members of a Medicare Advantage plan must be in a valid Medicare Advantage election or disenrollment period. This is vital because Medicare supplement plans, often referred to as Medigap plans, are designed to work with original Medicare, specifically Parts A and B. When individuals are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, they are essentially receiving their Medicare benefits through a private insurance company, which means that they are not using original Medicare at that time.

During the election period, members have the opportunity to make changes to their coverage, including the option to disenroll from their Medicare Advantage plan and switch back to original Medicare. Once they have returned to original Medicare, they can then apply for a Medigap policy. It's important to note that this process is time-sensitive and must occur during specific enrollment periods to avoid issues with coverage.

Other options, such as canceling the MA plan immediately, completing additional health screenings, or waiting until the next open enrollment period, do not accurately reflect the necessary steps involved in transitioning from a Medicare Advantage plan to a Medicare supplement plan. Cancellation of the MA plan is not required before applying for a Medicare supplement as long as one is within the correct enrollment period. Medigap policies typically do not