Changing Your Medicare Supplement Can Save You Money

Should I Change, and When?

If your Medicare supplement has experienced high premium increases, or even if you have had your supplement for a few years, you may want to look at changing your Medicare coverage in order to save money. If so, your first question may be: When can I change my Medicare supplement? The answer to that question all depends on the type of change you want to make.

If you want to change to a Medicare Advantage plan, you will need to wait until Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period (AEP). However, if you want to change to another Medicare supplement, you can change anytime–that is, anytime you can health qualify for another supplement. While there is a proviso on that change, the good news is that you do not need to wait until AEP to change your supplement.

Qualifying for a Medicare Supplement?

Once you enroll on Medicare Part B (provided you also have Medicare Part A), Medicare gives you six months to enroll on a Medicare supplement of your choice without having to health qualify. After that period of time, you can enroll on any Medicare supplement offered in your state IF you can health qualify.

Generally, health qualifying means answering health questions and getting approved by the supplement company you are enrolling with.

Is It Hard to Qualify for a Medicare Supplement?

Health qualifying depends on your health and the insurance carrier with which you are applying for coverage. If you have certain medical conditions, you may not qualify for a different Medicare supplement. Generally, these are conditions or combinations of conditions that could potentially expose the insurance company to greater risk. Insurance is all about risk, so an insurance carrier to which you are applying is looking to see what kind of risk you are to that company.

If the company views you as potentially costing it a lot of money down the road, it will decline your application for coverage. On the other hand, if the insurance company views you as a good risk, then you will generally be accepted for coverage. The health questions and the medications you take can give the insurance company a good idea about what risk you may be.

It is important to understand that different insurance carriers have different underwriting standards. This means that some companies will be more liberal in terms of whom they approve for coverage. So, just because your application is declined by one insurance carrier does not mean it would be declined by all insurance carriers. This means that if you really want to save money, you can apply to a different company after being declined by your first choice. In other words, don’t give up. (Typically, companies with the lowest premiums have the most stringent underwriting standards.)

How Do I Go about It?

At this point, your head may be swimming. After all, you want to save money on your Medicare supplement, so you want to apply with another insurance company. But to which company do you apply? Even if you find a carrier with better rates, how do you know what the underwriting standards will be? And another important question to ask: Even if I find a company with a lower premium now, will that company increase its rates down the road? (Of course, none of us can tell the future, but past performance of a company can sometimes be a good indicator.) So, what to do?

This is where an experienced independent agent—one that represents lots of companies—can be of help. He or she can help point you in the right direction and, hopefully, save you a lot of money on your Medicare supplement. That suggestion just happens to align with this helpful maxim: It’s always good to find good help.

Expert Medicare Advice

Please contact us to discuss your options and get personalized coverage options and pricing. As an independent agency, we compare up to 50 of the top insurance carriers to find the best coverage at the best prices.


Linda WilliamsLinda Williams
10:08 12 Jul 23
I had a 5 star experience and would recommend him. Always returning my calls promptly, very helpful and informative, listened to what my needs was regarding my Medicare. I truly felt comfortable with John's help to navigate through the maze of Medicare
Cindy KulakCindy Kulak
14:51 18 Jun 23
John is very knowledgable, honest and ethical in helping clients evaluate Medicare options and get enrolled. He made the process extremely easy for myself and my husband.
Leeann MoosLeeann Moos
17:26 06 Apr 23
When I became eligible for Medicare, my phone was constantly under attack from Medicare options sales folk. Since I needed help understanding my options and life is too short to do business with annoying people a little research was in order. Thats how I found John. His other customers seem very pleased with his service and I decided to give him a try. I was NOT disappointed! He did an excellent job for me, is extremely personable and I could not be happier. Thank you John
Rose WrightRose Wright
16:07 05 Apr 23
I am so thankful for the help that Mr. John was able to assist me with medicare information. After being bombarded with letters and phone calls you just need someone who can walk you through the confusion. And after getting all the info and the best plan and benefits for what i needed. I am glad that He was there for me.Thank you so very much,Rose Wright
Steve HenselSteve Hensel
21:08 04 Apr 23
Claeys Group is great to work with. John is truly professional, knowledgeable and makes the entire process flow so much more smoothly than I expected. I would highly recommend him.
Deborah RounsavallDeborah Rounsavall
14:25 07 Mar 23
I changed from my person finance planning group to John for help. Others led me astray. John is very responsive and follows up promptly. Even helped me on the weekend at the end of year to get all my documents in on time so I didn't lose insurance coverage. Explains all the options in a manner that us rookies can understand it. I highly recommend John.
Setella ParksSetella Parks
13:12 07 Mar 23
John's knowledge is invaluable when it comes to navigating the murky water of Medicare plans. He answered all our questions in a manner we could understand and helped us compare benefits between plans, services, and providers readily available in our area. I am so happy we called on him to assist us! He handled EVERYTHING professionally and patiently and has followed up to make sure we are good. Highly recommend his 5 star service!
Sherry JonesSherry Jones
21:01 23 Feb 23
John was recommended by my sister-in-law, who spoke very highly of him. He wrote out the differences between policies and explained it step by step to me so I could understand which policy would be best for my needs. He was professional but also down to earth so I could be at ease. He did this at my bed side which was such a blessing for me. I highly recommend John for your Insurance needs.
T/D HT/D H
19:40 20 Feb 23
We were recommended by friends to call John Claeys for our insurance. He came twice to gather information on what we were looking for and returned with information and details. We are delighted to have John Claeys as our agent and would recommend to our friends and anyone else to call John Claeys today.Tom and Debbie
Joyce SandvikJoyce Sandvik
20:32 30 Aug 22
John Claeys came to our house to talk about all aspects of Medicare. He wrote out some information on a notepad as he talked and answered our questions. He gave us the handwritten notes along with printouts of more information specific to my needs. My husband and I took o a few days to discuss the options. John took a list of my medications and researched all the available prescription insurance policies for me. He narrowed it down to the best policy (best prescription prices) for me. It was so easy and I felt confident I was getting exactly what I need when I turn 65. Every September, he will research prescription policies from my updated list of medications to find the best policy for my needs. Thanks to John Claeys for making this transition extremely easy and effortless.
Marilyn ScottMarilyn Scott
09:35 23 Jul 22
John enrolled my husband into Medicare 4 years ago. I knew then I wanted him to help me with my Medicare when it was my time to enroll. John helped me recently. He is very knowledgeable, humble and so patient. He made sure I had the best plan for me. He genuinely cares about his clients. He is the best insurance consultant! I highly recommend John for your Medicare needs!!
James MartinJames Martin
20:31 20 Jun 22
John did a great job of providing many options for my insurance. He is very thorough.
Judy MarkmanJudy Markman
17:02 20 Jun 22
John goes above and beyond to find the best insurance to fit your needs at an affordable price. I definitely recommend!
Dave LemingDave Leming
16:56 20 Jun 22
John was referred to my wife and I as we began to transition to use Medicare as our insurance options. He was very knowlegeable about all things related to government programs and supplemental options as well. I would strongly recommend his services to anyone requiring such support.
Ed HareEd Hare
14:16 08 Jun 22
John was recommended to us by a friend as we were turning 65 and having to make decisions on our medicare and advantage plan choices.John was thorough, informed, patient and engaged in helping us wade through all the minutia we were receiving to package the best set of programs for our future healthcare needs.We are happy and confident as healthcare needs arise having John at our side.Debi and Ed Hare
Julie SimpsonJulie Simpson
02:36 14 May 22
We selected an awesome advisor in John Claeys! John was dedicated to our needs in counseling our new Insurance choices with Medicare. He is sincere in getting his customers into the program that is best for their situation. John was sincere in explaining the process and we are happy to refer him to others! Steve and Julie Simpson
Sherry HilliardSherry Hilliard
16:55 18 Feb 22
John was extremely helpful when I had to select my Medicare supplemental policy. He is very knowledgeable in the various insurance products. I would recommend John to anyone needing insurance, and in fact, I have recommended him to several of my friends.
Margie SmithMargie Smith
01:08 16 Feb 22
Highly recommend Claeys Group Ins Service, John has assisted with my Medicare supplement and RX choices for past couple years. He is very knowledgeable of the various companies and policies available. Saved money and introduced me with a 5star company.
ElizEliz
16:56 10 Feb 22
John came to my house and explained the process of signing up to Medicare in an understandable way. He gave me the steps to take and assisted in the planning. With his help, I got it done. Before he came, it all seemed overwhelming. He's so genuinely nice, and I felt like I had known him for a long time. I highly recommend him, and in fact, already have recommended him to friends and family.
Rebecca NelsonRebecca Nelson
21:00 04 Feb 22
John Claeys is a great individual to work with you on insurance needs. He searched out the best policy and an affordable one that I could handle. He researches every year to be sure I’m getting the most for my money! Highly recommend this group.
Dorys GardensDorys Gardens
12:20 23 Jan 22
John was so pleasant to work with. He explained everything clearly and did not pressure me to make a decision one way or the other. He shopped for the best customized drug plan which will be saving me money in the long run. I highly recommend letting him guide you through the medicare process.
js_loader