When an individual turns 65 years of age, they have the option to enroll in Medicare (they may also qualify before the age of 65 if they are eligible for disability benefits). Basic Medicare, which includes Parts A and B, cover most of your basic hospital and doctor expenses, respectively. Unfortunately, "most" do not mean "all". The expenses which Medicare does not cover - sometimes referred to as "gaps" in coverage - are what Medigap insurance protects you from. A Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy can help pay some of the remaining health care costs, like: copayments, coinsurance and deductibles.

You, as a consumer, have a variety of options when it comes to choosing a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan. While some prefer to look up nearby licensed sales agents in their local Yellow Pages, you can get the plan that's right for you by doing your research and shopping around online. With the power of the internet, you can review more options from several insurance companies who are all competing for your business.

You could contact each and every individual insurance agency by yourself and spend hours filling out the same redundant online forms for quotes, or you can let us do all of the busy work for you. Compare multiple plans, monthly premiums, and benefits by filling out our one, simple online quote form today. We will connect you with a licensed insurance agent to compare options.

You can sign up anytime, however, there are some time frames which, if you enroll in during those opportunities, can make the process much easier.

• The Medigap Open Enrollment Period: During your first 6 months of Part B coverage, your acceptance is guaranteed, regardless of your health problems.
• The "Guaranteed Issue" Period: If you are on the verge of losing coverage through an employer, you can have a "guaranteed issue" period lasting 63 days where you can purchase any Medicare Supplement Insurance policy with no health questions asked.

If you enroll in Medicare Supplement Insurance plans at any point outside of these time frames, you can likely go through medical underwriting and answering lots of invasive health questions.

All 10 available Medicare Supplement Insurance plans are standardized. This means that each plan offers identical benefits, regardless of where you live or what company is handling your policy. Therefore, the only difference is in price.