The first six months after you turn 65 is the open enrollment period for Medigap plans, provided you are already enrolled in Medicare Part B. This is the critical period during which no insurance company can refuse you a Medigap plan policy on grounds of disability or any other existing health problems. Nor can they charge you a premium higher than that which they would normally charged for people of 65 years old.

Furthermore, you are entitled to buy any Medigap plans including those that cover the cost of prescription drugs. The deadline for purchasing a Medigap policy is six months from turning 65, after which it is not binding on any insurance company to sell you the policy, is it is then at their discretion. The benefits in each standardized Medicare supplemental insurance plan, or Medigap policy, are identical from one company to another. Premiums, however, vary significantly which makes it difficult to decide which the best Medigap policy is.

There are cardinal rules to bear in mind when purchasing Medigap plans:

• A higher premium for a standardized medical health supplemental insurance plan will not get you more benefits.
• All benefits from one company to another are identical and so is the procedure and requirements for filing a claim with the companies.
• Some companies try to market expensive plans by misleading you into believing their plans are superior because filing a claim involves no forms. The truth of the matter is that this decision rests with your personally concerned doctor or health-care provider.
• Some providers may file the forms for you while others prefer that you do it yourself.
• The premium usually increases every year. The reason for this is that the Medigap plan benefits are coordinated with Medicare's, and each January 1, the benefits Medicare gives are adjusted to keep on par with inflation.

The premium for Medigap plans are governed by three parameters:

• Age attained: The lowest premiums apply to those who just turned 65. As you get older, the premium will increase. Such increases are apart from the escalations because of the annual Medicare benefit adjustment for standard inflation.
• Age of issue: Your age at time of purchase is what determines the premium. The premium will escalate because of the annual inflation adjustment.
• Community rated: This is where the premium is a constant, regardless of age, for everyone resident living in the same geographic area.

Careful review and researching information at websites such as www.ecahealthinsurance.com will provide the insured with a greater sense of this process, allowing them to make a well-informed decision regarding their healthcare needs.