Close the Medigap Act of 2025

This bill reforms Medigap (Medicare Supplement) so it’s easier to buy, easier to compare, and fairer in pricing. Insurers could not deny you a policy or charge you more because of your health, past claims, or genetic information, and they could not use waiting periods for preexisting conditions. These protections start with policies effective on or after January 1, 2026, with an outreach plan to tell people about the changes and the option to phase in through January 1, 2031 .

Insurers must spend a minimum share of premiums on members’ benefits: before 2026, at least 75% for group policies and 65% for individual policies; from 2026 on, at least those amounts and any higher level recommended by insurance regulators. The bill also limits price discrimination: no age-based pricing, no pricing that makes it hard for people who qualify for Medicare for reasons other than age to get a policy, and no setting premiums for only parts of a county. These new standards apply to people who first get Part A or enroll in Part B on or after January 1, 2026 .

Medicare’s Plan Finder website must show clearer information, like provider networks, out-of-pocket cost estimates, and state rules on guaranteed issue before 2026, and add better comparison tools (sorting premiums, explaining plan value, insurer financial stability, and inflation data). Updates must be consumer-tested and take public comments . The bill restores access to first‑dollar Medigap coverage by removing a past restriction, and it requires Medigap insurers to report yearly what they pay agents and brokers, increasing transparency for shoppers.

• Who is affected: People with Medicare who buy Medigap, insurers, and agents/brokers .
• What changes: No denials or waiting periods for preexisting conditions; fairer pricing rules; higher minimum spending on benefits; clearer, consumer-tested info on Plan Finder; first‑dollar Medigap coverage returns; broker payment reporting .
• When: Most protections and standards begin January 1, 2026; phase‑in allowed through January 1, 2031; Plan Finder improvements begin before and after 2026; broker reporting starts within 12 months of enactment .