State RegulationsIL specificDifficulty 1/5
An Illinois policyholder between ages 65 and 75 wants to switch to a different Medicare supplement policy with lesser benefits after his initial open enrollment period has ended. What does the annual birthday open enrollment period allow?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why D is correct
215 ILCS 5/363 gives Medicare supplement policyholders aged 65 to 75 an annual birthday open enrollment period of 45 days starting on each birthday. During that window the policyholder may switch to a policy with equal or lesser benefits, and the issuer may not deny the application, condition coverage, or price the policy based on health status. This is a distinctive Illinois-specific right enforced by the Illinois Department of Insurance.
Why the other options are wrong
- A) The birthday window lasts 45 days and only permits switching to equal or lesser benefits, not to any policy including richer ones.
- B) The window is 45 days, not 90, and it permits switching to the same issuer (or an authorized affiliate), not to any issuer.
- C) The birthday window is a 45-day annual period, not 6 months, and it allows changing to an equal or lesser benefit policy rather than staying locked in one form.
Memory hook
Birthday bonus: 45 days, ages 65 to 75, equal-or-lesser only.