Matt Medicares

08/26/2026

Most Medicare advice online is written for the whole country. California has its own rule that a lot of people here have never heard of.

It's called the Birthday Rule.

If you already have a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy, California gives you a window tied to your birthday each year to switch to another Medigap plan with equal or lesser benefits — without going through medical underwriting. No health questions. Your coverage doesn't get denied or priced up because of your history.

Two things people get wrong about it:

It only applies if you already have a Medigap policy. If you're on a Medicare Advantage plan, this particular rule isn't your path — you'd be looking at different rules entirely.

And it's a real deadline, not a suggestion. The window opens and closes on a schedule tied to your birthday. Miss it and you're generally back to answering health questions.

Most states have nothing like this. If you have a Medigap plan and haven't compared it in a few years, your birthday is a reasonable annual reminder to check whether the same coverage is available for less.

I walk through exactly how the window works, and who it does and doesn't help, in the guide below.

I'm Matt, an independent licensed Medicare broker serving Santa Barbara and the Central Coast. No cost to talk: 805-322-8053

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Matt Medicares Insurance is a non-government entity, not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for information on all of your options. CA License #4199527.


https://www.mattmedicares.com/blog/california-birthday-rule-medigap?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=aep2026-sb

08/21/2026

Medicare mail season is about to start here in Santa Barbara County. Three things show up between now and early October, and it's worth knowing what each one is before it lands.

1. The "Medicare & You" handbook — arrives in September from Medicare itself. It's the general rulebook, not anything about your specific plan.

2. Your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) — this one comes from your plan and has to reach you by September 30. It's the important one. It tells you what's changing on your plan for next year: premium, drug list, provider network, out-of-pocket maximum. Most people set it aside. It's worth ten minutes.

3. A non-renewal notice — only if it applies to you. Plan lineups change every year, and some plans aren't offered again the following year. If yours is one of them, you'd get a separate letter, usually by early October.

That last one worries people, so here's the short version: your coverage runs through December 31 either way. Nothing changes the day the letter arrives. And a letter like that actually opens up options you don't otherwise have — including a limited window to enroll in certain Medicare Supplement plans without answering health questions.

Annual Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7. There is time to sort this out carefully — as long as the mail doesn't end up in the recycling.

I'm Matt, an independent licensed Medicare broker here on the Central Coast. I wrote a plain-English guide to what a non-renewal letter means and what your options are — free to read, and my help is free too. Questions are welcome in the comments.

Guide: https://www.mattmedicares.com/blog/medicare-advantage-plan-discontinued-california?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=aep2026-sb

Call: 805-322-8053

—
Matt Medicares Insurance is a non-government entity, not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for information on all of your options. CA License #4199527.

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