Committee hears support for expanding Medigap access to under-65 Medicare beneficiaries with ALS and ESRD

Proponents of House Bill 24 told the Ohio House Insurance Committee that the bill would allow Medicare-eligible Ohioans under age 65 who have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) to buy Medicare supplemental (Medigap) coverage, align their enrollment rights with those of beneficiaries aged 65 and older, and create a limited one-time enrollment window and a rule allowing beneficiaries to change carriers within the same lettered Medigap plan without new underwriting.

Alex Meixner of the ALS Association described patients’ experiences and urged support for the bill, saying the measure would let people like Angelina Fanal of Strongsville use their own funds to buy supplemental coverage that covers Medicare’s 20% cost-sharing. “When I first enrolled, my plan lived up to that reputation. My medication refills, feeding tube formula, my main source of food were delayed a whole month…