Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)
Private insurance bought from an insurance company that helps pay costs Original Medicare does not cover. Screens Medi-Cal sale limits and California enrollment rights only; no quotes or recommendations.
A directory listing, not an eligibility decision.
UniHealth can identify a possible match, but the responsible program makes the final decision.
What to know
- Why it may fit
- Your circumstances can be checked against the program’s published guidelines.
- What to do next
- Private insurance that helps pay costs Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) does not cover. You buy it from an insurance company. The choice is yours.
- Who runs it
- California Department of Insurance / carriers
What the program may consider
- You are enrolled in Medicare Part B
- No Medicaid or QMB sale prohibition
- Open enrollment, guaranteed issue, or California Birthday Rule right
- Current carrier availability and licensed review
How to get it
Private insurance that helps pay costs Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) does not cover. You buy it from an insurance company. The choice is yours.
Before you start
- You need this first Original Medicare. You need Medicare Part A and Part B.
How to apply
Medigap application to an insurance company
You apply directly to the insurance company you choose. Medicare does not sell these policies.
- PhoneHICAP free Medicare counseling: 1-800-434-0222Free, unbiased help with Medicare choices.
- PhoneCalifornia Department of Insurance consumer line: 1-800-927-4357Check an insurance agent's license or ask about your Medigap rights.
- Phone1-800-MEDICARE: 1-800-633-4227
- PhoneSourcewise information line: (408) 350-3200Weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ask for the program you need.
- Online formSourcewise HICAP counseling requestAsk for yourself or for someone else.
- In personHICAP counseling sitesSenior centers, libraries and community centers. Call the site or book online.
Getting help
You start this yourself
You choose and sign your own application. A guardian, or someone with legal power over your affairs, may sign for you. HICAP gives free, unbiased help. You can check an agent's license with the state insurance department.
Only you, or someone with legal authority for you, can sign.
What happens after you apply
Your strongest rights last 6 months. They start when you are 65 or older and have Part B. Then companies cannot turn you down because of your health.
YouA helper can help with this
You get a 6-month window after your Part B starts.
If you are under 65 and have Medicare because of a disability
YouA helper can help with this
Each year you get 60 days, starting on your birthday, to switch policies. The new one must have the same or fewer benefits. No health questions are asked.
If you already have a Medigap policy
YouA helper can help with this
Other events give you rights too. Examples are losing job or retiree coverage, or leaving a Medicare Advantage plan in your first year. Losing Medi-Cal because your income or savings went up also counts.
YouA helper can help with this
If you have Medi-Cal, companies generally cannot sell you a policy. There are a few exceptions.
If you have Medi-Cal
YouOnly you can do this
You choose a policy and a company, then apply to that company. You sign the application.
YouOnly you can do this
The company reviews your application. Outside your protected windows, it may ask health questions and can say no.
Your health plan
The company sends your policy and its start date.
Your health planOnly you can do this
What only you can do
- Choose your own policy and company. HICAP can explain your options for free.
- Sign the application yourself, or through your legal representative.
- How long it takes
- The company decides how fast. Ask when your coverage will start.
- You are enrolled when
- You are covered when the company sends your policy with a start date.
- To keep it
- Your policy keeps renewing as long as you keep paying for it. If you get Medi-Cal, you can pause the policy for up to 24 months. Tell the company within 90 days.
Can’t be combined with
- Medicare Advantage. You cannot use a Medigap policy with a Medicare Advantage plan.
- Aged, Blind and Disabled Federal Poverty Level Medi-Cal. Companies generally cannot sell a Medigap policy to people with Medi-Cal.
- Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB). Companies generally cannot sell a Medigap policy to people with QMB.
Coming changes
- Starting January 4, 2027: Some people who are not citizens lose Medicare on January 4, 2027. Citizens and green card holders keep it. So do Cuban or Haitian entrants and some Pacific island residents. Social Security writes first to people who will lose it.
Choosing a Medicare plan is your decision. UniHealth does not choose, recommend, or enroll anyone in Medicare plans. For free, unbiased help, call HICAP at 1-800-434-0222.