Medicare Advantage

Switching From Medicare Advantage to Medigap: What Arizona Retirees Should Know Before They Try

Andy | September 28, 2026September 28, 2026

Medicare Enrollment Choosing Medicare Advantage at 65 feels like a low-risk decision, especially with a low or zero monthly premium. The catch tends to show up years later: going from Medicare Advantage to Medigap can be much harder than getting into Medicare Advantage ever was. That’s worth knowing this fall, with Medicare’s Annual Election Period running October 15 through December 7.

Why Medicare Advantage to Medigap Is Harder Than It Looks

Federal law bars Medicare Advantage plans from turning you down or charging you more because of your health — you can enroll during your Initial Enrollment Period, the fall Annual Election Period, or a Special Enrollment Period, sick or not. Medigap plays by a different rulebook. You get one federally protected window, the Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which lasts six months and starts the first month you’re both 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. During those six months, any insurer selling Medigap in your state has to offer you any plan it sells, at its best available rate, regardless of your health history.

After those six months close, federal protections end and state law takes over. In most states, a Medigap insurer reviewing a later application can ask full health questions, charge a higher rate based on the answers, apply a waiting period of up to six months for a pre-existing condition, or decline the application outright.

Why 72 Is the Wrong Age to Try It

A retiree who picked a zero-premium Medicare Advantage plan at 65 often wants Medigap by 72, right around when prior authorization requirements, narrow provider networks, and out-of-network billing start to matter more. By then, a diagnosis or a longer prescription list picked up along the way can turn a simple application into a difficult one — or an impossible one, in a state without extra protections.

What Can Still Open the Door

A few situations restore your guaranteed-issue right, no matter how long it’s been:

The 12-month trial right. If you enrolled in Medicare Advantage when you first became eligible for Medicare, you have 12 months to drop the plan and buy any Medigap policy sold in your state without underwriting. The same 12-month right applies if you dropped a Medigap policy to try Medicare Advantage for the first time.
Your plan leaves the market. Guaranteed issue also kicks in if your Medicare Advantage plan exits the market, ends its contract in your service area, or you move outside the plan’s coverage area.
Your state’s own rules. A handful of states — Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York among them — require Medigap insurers to issue policies year-round without underwriting. Others, including California, Oregon, and Nevada, give current Medigap policyholders an annual window, often tied to their birthday, to switch plans without health questions. Arizona is not one of the states with a birthday-rule or continuous guaranteed-issue law as of this writing.

Since Arizona doesn’t have one of these state-level protections, the federal six-month window and the situations above are what determine whether you can switch without medical underwriting here.

What to Decide Before Part B Starts

If you’re approaching 65, you’re deciding whether to use the one federally protected chance to buy Medigap on an insurer’s best terms — that decision is worth more weight than just comparing this year’s premium. If you’re already on Medicare Advantage and past your six-month window, it’s worth confirming whether a guaranteed-issue right currently applies to your situation before assuming a later switch is off the table, or assuming it’s automatically available.

Wondering whether a Medicare Advantage to Medigap switch is realistic for you? Call (623) 742-3878 for a free, no-pressure conversation — as an independent broker who doesn’t sell Medicare Advantage, I can walk through what applies to your specific timeline and situation.

This article is for general educational purposes and is not a comparison of specific plans or an endorsement by Medicare or any government agency. Guaranteed-issue rules can be complex and vary by exact circumstance — confirm your specific situation with Medicare.gov, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), or a licensed agent before making a coverage decision.

Humana Is Dropping Medicare Advantage Plans for 2027 — What to Do If You’re Affected

Andy | September 14, 2026October 6, 2026

Humana has confirmed it’s exiting a number of Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, affecting roughly 600,000 members nationwide. If you have a Humana Medicare Advantage Arizona plan, this is worth paying attention to — whether or not you’ve received anything in the mail yet.

What’s actually happening

Humana is discontinuing plans it says are the “lower tail of profitability” for 2027 — mostly plans rated 3.5 stars or lower. Non-renewal letters are expected to go out starting in early October, right as Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period opens on October 15. If your plan is affected, you’ll be notified directly by Humana, but the letter alone won’t tell you what to do next.

Why this matters even if you’re not sure you’re affected

Humana hasn’t published a full list of which specific plans or counties are impacted. The only way to know for certain is to watch your mail closely this fall — and to have a plan for what comes next if a non-renewal letter shows up. Waiting until you’re holding the letter to start comparing options means doing it under time pressure, right in the middle of AEP’s busiest weeks.

Humana Medicare Advantage Arizona: Your Options If Your Plan Is Dropped

If your Humana Medicare Advantage plan is discontinued, you’re not left without coverage — you’ll have a special enrollment window to pick something new. Depending on your situation, that could mean:

Enrolling in a different Medicare Advantage plan from another carrier
Moving to Original Medicare paired with a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan and a stand-alone Part D drug plan
Reviewing whether your current doctors and prescriptions are still covered under any new option you’re considering

As an independent Arizona broker, I’m not tied to steering you back into another Humana Medicare Advantage Arizona product — the goal is finding whatever actually fits your coverage needs now.

What to do this fall

Whether or not you get a letter, it’s worth a quick check-in before AEP opens October 15. If you are notified that your plan is being discontinued, reach out as soon as you get the letter — the sooner we start comparing options, the less rushed the decision.

Received a non-renewal letter, or just want to make sure you’re covered either way? Call (623) 742-3878 for a free, no-pressure review. As an independent Arizona health insurance broker, I can also show you how a Medicare Supplement plan works if you would rather not depend on one plan’s network and market decisions.

This article is for general educational purposes and is not a comparison of specific plans or an endorsement by Medicare, Humana, or any government agency. Please review any notice you receive directly from your carrier for details specific to your plan.

Why do some seniors choose Medigap over Medicare Advantage?

Andy | October 18, 2025October 7, 2026

Every fall, millions of seniors face the same decision: Medigap vs Medicare Advantage — which is right for me? Despite Medicare Advantage’s heavy marketing, a significant number of seniors deliberately choose Medigap over Medicare Advantage. Here’s why.

The Core Reason Seniors Choose Medigap Over Medicare Advantage

The fundamental difference: Medicare Advantage is cheaper at enrollment but can cost far more when you’re sick. Medigap vs Medicare Advantage comes down to predictability. With Medigap Plan G, after the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), you pay nothing for covered services all year. With Medicare Advantage, copays, coinsurance, and prior authorizations can add up to thousands.

Why Healthcare Workers Consistently Recommend Medigap

Nurses, doctors, and hospital administrators — people who see how insurance affects patients — consistently prefer Medigap for themselves and their families. The reason: when a serious illness hits, Medicare Advantage plans frequently require prior authorization, restrict networks, and deny claims that Original Medicare would cover.

According to Medicare.gov, Medigap plans work alongside Original Medicare and cover most of the gaps Original Medicare leaves — without network restrictions or prior authorization requirements.

Five Reasons Seniors Choose Medigap Over Medicare Advantage

Any doctor, anywhere: Medigap works with any provider who accepts Medicare — no networks, no referrals
No prior authorization: Your doctor decides your care — not an insurance company algorithm
Mayo Clinic access: Mayo Clinic Arizona accepts Original Medicare and Medigap — not most Advantage plans
Predictable costs: One deductible per year, then nothing for covered services
Stable benefits: Medigap benefits don’t change annually — no ANOC to review every September

When Medicare Advantage Might Still Make Sense

If you can’t afford Medigap premiums or qualify for low-income assistance programs, Medicare Advantage may be your best available option. However, the one-way door risk remains: if you later want to choose Medigap over Medicare Advantage, you may need to pass medical underwriting.

Get a Free Comparison in Arizona

I’m Andy Orlikoff, an independent Medicare broker in Surprise, AZ. I help Arizona seniors understand the real Medigap vs Medicare Advantage tradeoffs — and I don’t sell Advantage plans.

Call or text: (623) 742-3878
Fill out the contact form →

Serving Surprise, Phoenix, Peoria, Glendale, Goodyear, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, and all of Arizona.

American Insurance Benefits | 14955 W Bell Rd #8031, Surprise, AZ 85374 | Licensed Arizona Insurance Broker since 2004

Should You Ditch Your Medicare Advantage Plan? Most People Do

Andy | June 7, 2025October 7, 2026

If you’re tempted to ditch Medicare Advantage, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans switch away from Medicare Advantage plans every year — and the numbers are growing. Here’s when it makes sense to leave, how to do it, and the critical timing issue most people miss.

Why More People Are Choosing to Ditch Medicare Advantage

The most common reasons people decide to ditch Medicare Advantage:

Their doctor left the plan’s network
Prior authorization denied necessary care
Out-of-pocket costs were higher than expected after a serious illness
Benefits were cut at the annual renewal
Moving to a different part of Arizona or another state
Wanting access to Mayo Clinic, which doesn’t accept most Advantage plans

According to CMS data, Medicare Advantage enrollment has seen increasing churn as plan benefits change annually and major insurers pull back from markets.

The Critical Warning Before You Ditch Medicare Advantage

Here’s what stops many people from leaving: the one-way door problem. If you ditch Medicare Advantage and want to switch to a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan, you may need to pass medical underwriting — especially if you’ve been on Advantage for more than a year.

That means insurance companies can review your health history and potentially deny you Medigap coverage or charge more based on pre-existing conditions. The longer you stay on Medicare Advantage, the more health conditions you may accumulate — and the harder it becomes to qualify for Medigap.

This is why timing matters: if you’re thinking about leaving, do it sooner rather than later.

When You Can Ditch Medicare Advantage Without Penalty

There are two main windows to leave Medicare Advantage:

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP): January 1 – March 31. You can switch to Original Medicare, with coverage starting the first of the following month.
Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): October 15 – December 7. Changes take effect January 1.

What to Do After You Ditch Medicare Advantage

Once you return to Original Medicare, you’ll want a Medicare Supplement Plan G to cover your out-of-pocket costs. With Plan G, after the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026), you pay nothing for covered services for the rest of the year — no networks, no prior authorization, no surprises.

Ready to Make the Switch?

I’m Andy Orlikoff, an independent Medicare broker in Surprise, AZ. I help Arizona seniors who want to ditch Medicare Advantage navigate the process and enroll in the right Medigap plan — even when medical underwriting is required.

Call or text: (623) 742-3878
Email: andy@azhealth.us
Fill out the contact form →

Serving Surprise, Phoenix, Peoria, Glendale, Goodyear, Buckeye, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, and all of Arizona.

American Insurance Benefits | 14955 W Bell Rd #8031, Surprise, AZ 85374 | Licensed Arizona Insurance Broker since 2004