A Medicare supplement policy becomes effective in Virginia. Under Va. Code § 38.2-3605, for how long after the effective date may the insurer deny claims on the basis of a preexisting condition?

Why D is correct

Va. Code § 38.2-3605 caps the reach of a Medicare supplement preexisting-condition limitation: the insurer may not deny claims for losses incurred more than 6 months after the effective date. Virginia pairs this with the requirement that the look-back to a preexisting condition be limited in scope, so the practical effect is a bounded window — after 6 months of coverage, a preexisting condition can no longer be the basis for denying a claim.

Why the other options are wrong

• A) The 12-month figure overstates the window; Virginia limits preexisting-condition claim denials to losses in the first 6 months.
• B) Disclosure on the application does not create a perpetual exclusion; the statute bounds the period outright.
• C) 31 days is a grace-period figure, not the preexisting-condition window for Medicare supplement claims.

Memory hook

Six months, then the preexisting leash comes off — no denials after month 6.