Medigap in Kansas: why your first six months matter

Kansas has no Medigap "birthday rule." Your only guaranteed chance to buy any Medicare Supplement policy without health questions is your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which starts the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older. After it ends, a Kansas insurer can ask about your health and can decline you or charge more.

By Nick Heyse, independent licensed insurance agent (NPN 20605586) · Last reviewed October 2026

What the six-month window gives you

During your Medigap Open Enrollment Period, an insurance company must sell you any Medicare Supplement policy it offers in Kansas. It can't turn you down or charge you more because of your health history. This is a federal rule, so it applies in every state.

The clock starts when your Part B starts — not when you turn 65 if you delay Part B because you're still working. That's one reason the decision about delaying Part B matters so much.

What a "birthday rule" is, and why Kansas is different

A few states give people a short window every year, around their birthday or policy anniversary, to switch Medicare Supplement policies without answering health questions. Kansas isn't one of them. Missouri has its own version, the anniversary rule.

In practice, if you live in Kansas and there's a real chance you'll want a Medicare Supplement later, the easiest time to get one is during your first six months.

When you can still switch without health questions

Federal law gives "guaranteed issue rights" in specific situations, for example:

• Your Medicare Advantage plan leaves your area or stops offering coverage.
• You joined a Medicare Advantage plan when you first became eligible and leave it within the first 12 months (a "trial right").
• You dropped a Medigap policy to try Medicare Advantage for the first time and leave within 12 months.
• Your Medigap insurer goes bankrupt or misleads you.

Each one has its own deadline, usually 63 days after the coverage ends. Keep any letters you get about a plan ending.

What this means if you're deciding now

Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement work very differently, and neither is right for everyone. The Kansas detail just means the decision deserves real thought up front, because changing your mind later can be harder here than in some states. See how the two paths compare.