Guaranteed Issue Rights

What Does Guaranteed Issue Rights Mean?

Guaranteed Issue Rights, also known as Medigap protections, is a law that prevents American insurance companies from refusing to sell additional health insurance to individuals who have Medicare or any of its variants.

Insuranceopedia Explains Guaranteed Issue Rights

Under the Guaranteed Issue Rights law, insurance companies are prohibited from denying coverage to individuals with Medicare who wish to purchase health insurance, even if they have pre-existing health conditions. Additionally, companies cannot charge higher premiums based on those prior conditions.

These protections apply specifically to Medigap policies, but older Americans shopping for coverage outside of Medicare often run into similar worries about being turned down for their age or health history. That is one reason many people in this age group compare options like the best life insurance companies for seniors when looking for policies with easier approval. For those who want to skip medical underwriting altogether, no-medical-exam life insurance policies offer another route, though premiums tend to be higher in exchange for the simpler application process.