If you were enrolled for less that 6 months, you will receive a credit against the imposition of a pre-existing condition limitation on your Medigap coverage equal to the number of months you were enrolled in the Medicare managed care plan. With respect to Medigap insurance, federal law provides that if you are switching from one Medigap policy to another, you must be given credit towards the amount of time you would otherwise have to wait for coverage of a pre-existing medical condition equal to the total amount of time you held any other Medigap policy. Furthermore, the state insurance regulations confirm that if you are seeking to replace a Medicare managed care plan with a Medigap policy, you must be given credit for the time you were enrolled in a Medicare managed care plan. Remember that you must purchase the Medigap policy within 63 days of either switching from one Medigap policy to another or from dis-enrolling from a Medicare managed care plan. Medicare beneficiaries of modest means who are having trouble paying Medicare premiums, deductibles and co-payments may qualify for help from the state to pay for these costs.
Help is also available to obtain prescription medications.