During the Medigap open enrollment period, which begins when a person age 65 or older is enrolled in Medicare Part B, insurers must:

Why A is correct

The Medigap open enrollment period is a six-month period that begins when the individual is both age 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. During this period, insurers may not deny a Medigap policy and may not use medical underwriting — the beneficiary can buy any policy sold in the state. California law codifies this protection in Insurance Code Section 10192.11, which the senior products objectives identify as a California Medigap rule.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Medical underwriting is prohibited during the open enrollment period; the protection is exactly that coverage cannot be denied for health reasons.
• C) During open enrollment, premiums for the same policy are not surcharged for preexisting conditions; all applicants in the period are treated the same.
• D) Open enrollment begins at age 65 with Part B enrollment; waiting until 70 would forfeit the protected window.

Memory hook

Medigap open enrollment = six months, one shot: enroll with Part B and the insurer cannot ask about your health.

Why A is correct

The Medigap open enrollment period guarantees that an insurer cannot refuse to sell a Medigap policy or charge a higher rate because of the applicant's health, medical history, or disability. This guaranteed issue protection applies when the applicant first enrolls during the open enrollment window tied to Medicare Part B enrollment. After the open enrollment period ends, insurers may generally use medical underwriting and can deny coverage or charge more based on health. The protection is designed to let beneficiaries buy supplement coverage at standard rates when they first become eligible, without fear of being locked out by health conditions.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) All standardized Medigap plans are available during open enrollment; the protection concerns underwriting, not plan selection.
• C) Medigap supplements Original Medicare and cannot be used with Medicare Advantage; enrollment in an MA plan would make a Medigap policy unusable.
• D) Premiums can be increased in the future based on the insurer's rate filings; open enrollment guarantees access, not frozen lifetime rates.

Memory hook

Open enrollment is the health-blind window: Medigap cannot reject or price by condition.

Why A is correct

California law (CIC Section 10192.11) establishes a Medigap open enrollment period: a beneficiary age 65 or older who is enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B has a window during which insurers must accept the applicant and may not deny coverage or impose a higher premium because of health status. During open enrollment, medical underwriting is prohibited. After the window closes, insurers generally may underwrite, which is why agents counsel beneficiaries to act during open enrollment. The window protects beneficiaries who act promptly at age 65.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Age over 70 is not a lawful basis to deny a Medigap policy during the open enrollment period. No age ceiling limits Medigap availability during the open enrollment window at all.
• C) Medical underwriting for health status is exactly what the open enrollment period prohibits. Medical underwriting based on health status is suspended during the open enrollment window entirely, by California law.
• D) Former Medicare Advantage enrollees may have their own guaranteed issue rights under Section 10192.12; refusing them outright would not comply with the law. Those beneficiaries have their own statutory protections.

Memory hook

Medigap open enrollment = the health-free pass: no denial, no surcharge for preexisting conditions, no underwriting questions.

Why A is correct

The Medigap open enrollment period begins on the first day of the month the beneficiary is both age 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B, and it lasts for six months. During this window, insurers must sell a Medigap policy to the applicant and may not deny coverage, impose preexisting condition waiting periods in most cases, or charge more because of health status. California law, CIC Section 10192.11, enforces this protected enrollment right. After the window closes, beneficiaries may face medical underwriting and higher or denied rates.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) A full medical exam is not required during open enrollment; guaranteed issue protections apply without medical underwriting.
• C) Health history may not be used to set premiums during the Medigap open enrollment period.
• D) An insurer cannot refuse to sell Plan A during open enrollment; the protected period guarantees access to standardized plans.

Memory hook

Medigap open enrollment = six months of guaranteed issue. Health never blocks the sale.