Can I Get Supplemental Insurance for Medicare Even Though I'm Under 65?

Medicare provides health insurance for US citizens who have turned 65 years of age. If you are younger than 65 and you are disabled, you might also be eligible to use Medicare coverage. Once you have enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B, you can then choose to add additional Medicare coverage. This additional coverage can be either a Medigap policy, which is Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Parts C and D.

Medicare Supplement Insurance Identification

• Medicare Supplement Insurance, also known as Medigap, is additional coverage to add to your Medicare Part A, hospital insurance, and Part B, medical insurance. Medigap is private health insurance that was specifically designed to supplement Medicare, helping you to pay for the costs of medical needs that standard Medicare does not cover, plus helping you pay for co-insurances, co-payments and deductibles. Medigap coverage and Medicare coverage are two separate things, although you add them to each other. Medigap is also an option in Medicare Part C, or advantage plans. Part C is also private coverage, but unlike Medigap, it includes the coverage of Part A and Part B, plus additional coverage not included in Part A and Part B.

Medigap Eligibility Age

• You can add a Medigap policy when you turn 65 years old and after you enroll in Medicare Part B. Starting from the day you enroll in Part B, you have six months to add a Medigap policy. After this period, you might have to pay more for the same plan, or you may even be rejected.

Medigap Under 65

• Although you might be eligible to have Medicare coverage before age 65 because you are disabled, that is not precisely the case with Medigap. Even if you have Medicare Part B because of your disability, Medigap is not always required to sell you the policy you want or sometimes any policy at all. The federal laws that require private companies to sell Medigap during the six-month period from the moment you turn age 65 do not require companies to sell Medigap before age 65. However, some states have laws that require companies to sell you a Medigap policy if you are disabled, have Medicare Part B and are younger than 65 years old.

State Laws

• The states that have laws requiring private companies to sell Medigap to people who are younger than age 65 and disabled include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Wisconsin. In any of these states, you can access a Medigap policy before you are age 65. If your state is not listed, you might still be able to get a Medigap policy, since some companies are voluntarily selling these policies. However, they cost more than they would if you were to wait until you reached 65.