FAQ: Med Supp and Medical Exams

September 15, 2010 at 08:00 PM
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An agent from Rockdale, TX asks…

Q: If a client wants to switch to a different Medicare supplement with a different insurance company, will there always be a medical exam requested?

A: No. As with regular health insurance, whether or not a physical examination will be requested will depend on the carrier. If your client is opposed to an examination, check with any potential new carriers to see if they require medical exams before you consider them. Although it is possible that a carrier could require a physical for plan switchers, experience has shown that few plans do.

Also, remember that during the six-month open enrollment period, all Medicare supplement plans are guaranteed issue – meaning that an insurance company is required to sell a policy and may not force an individual to prove "insurability" by making the person pass a physical examination.

If you would like to be considered for our Medicare FAQ expert panel to answer frequently asked questions, email associate editor Heather Trese.

Do you have a Medicare question that you would like answered? Email us and let us know! Please put "Medicare FAQ" in the subject line.

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