If private insurers will not cover your Massachusetts home, the Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association (MPIUA), known as the FAIR Plan, is the state's market of last resort. It provides basic property insurance to eligible homeowners, condo owners and renters who cannot get coverage elsewhere. The Division of Insurance (DOI) regulates it and reviews and approves its rates.

The FAIR Plan is a safety net, not a substitute for shopping. It does not cover flood, and since 2025 some new coastal policies in flood zones require a separate flood policy.

What is the Massachusetts FAIR Plan?

DOI explains that the FAIR Plan was created by state law and acts like an insurance company for people who cannot get coverage in the voluntary market. It is not a state agency and is not state funded. It operates as a joint underwriting association backed by the insurers that write basic property insurance in Massachusetts, and it issues policies and collects premiums as a direct insurer.

Its stated purpose is to provide coverage of last resort rather than compete with private insurers.

Who is eligible?

According to DOI, you may be eligible if:

• The property is residential: a single-family home, a multi-family dwelling or a condominium unit
• The property is in Massachusetts
• You can certify that you made a reasonable effort to get insurance and could not get it elsewhere

You must also meet some conditions, such as showing reasonable steps to maintain the property, that it is not vacant or condemned, and that there are no outstanding tax liens or penalties against it. Some commercial properties may qualify for limited coverage.

DOI says people often end up needing the FAIR Plan after a private insurer declines, cancels or non-renews a policy, for reasons that can include the property's condition, its overall risk, or how much business an insurer wants in an area.

What does the FAIR Plan cover?

DOI lists basic property coverage that includes:

• Fire and smoke damage
• Vandalism and theft
• Limited liability claims
• Windstorm or hail
• Snow or ice collapse
• Damage from vehicles or aircraft

DOI describes FAIR Plan coverage as generally more basic than a standard homeowners policy, but relatively in line with the standard HO-3 form. Read the declarations page and any deductibles closely, including how wind or named-storm losses are handled, since terms vary by policy.

What about flood?

Like private home insurance, the FAIR Plan does not cover flooding. DOI adds that as of 2025, a new FAIR Plan policy for a property in a Special Flood Hazard Area, in a community overseen by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, also requires the homeowner to buy a separate flood insurance policy.

Flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) typically has a 30-day waiting period before it takes effect, according to FEMA, unless it is required by a lender at closing or tied to a flood map change. Do not wait for a storm forecast to buy it. FEMA's flood insurance page explains how the program works.

How do I apply?

DOI lists these steps:

• Contact a licensed Massachusetts insurance agent or broker. Most applicants apply this way.
• Submit an application to the MPIUA and complete its inspection process.
• If you are eligible, the policy is issued after the premium is paid.

You can also apply directly through the MPIUA website without a broker. The MPIUA's phone numbers are (617) 723-3800 and toll-free (800) 392-6108.

Can I move back to a private insurer later?

Yes. DOI says the FAIR Plan is "a safety net, not a punishment," and a voluntary insurer will not charge you more because you were on the FAIR Plan before. If you find a private insurer, you can cancel your FAIR Plan policy with a form from the MPIUA website. Make sure the new policy is active first, so you have no gap.

If you are buying a home, ask about insurance availability early, before your contract deadlines get close.

FAQ

Is the Massachusetts FAIR Plan a state agency? No. DOI says it was created by state law but is not a state agency and is not state funded. It is backed by insurers that write property insurance in Massachusetts.

Who can get a FAIR Plan policy? Owners and renters of residential property in Massachusetts who certify they made a reasonable effort to find insurance and could not, and who meet conditions such as maintaining the property and having no outstanding tax liens.

Does the FAIR Plan cover flood damage? No. Flood requires a separate policy. For new FAIR Plan policies in coastal Special Flood Hazard Areas, DOI says a separate flood policy is now required.

Do I need an agent to apply? No. Most people apply through a licensed agent or broker, but you can apply directly on the MPIUA website.

Will being on the FAIR Plan raise my rates later? DOI says a voluntary insurer will not charge you more because you were on the FAIR Plan in the past.

Next step

A licensed local insurance agent can shop private carriers first, explain FAIR Plan coverage next to any private quote, and check whether your address is in a flood zone that calls for a separate flood policy. Bring any cancellation or non-renewal letters and your current declarations page.

Sources: Massachusetts Division of Insurance: Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association, MPIUA (FAIR Plan), FEMA: Flood Insurance.

Massachusetts does not use the lettered Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans, like Plan G or Plan N, that are sold in most states. Here the plans are called Core, Supplement 1 and Supplement 1A. Supplement 1 is only available to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. People new to Medicare can choose between Core and Supplement 1A.

State rules also give Massachusetts residents an extra Medigap enrollment window every year, from February 1 to March 31, with coverage starting June 1.

What does every Massachusetts Medigap plan cover?

The Division of Insurance (DOI) 2026 plan comparison lists these basic benefits in all three plans:

• Part A hospital copayments for days 61 to 90 ($434 a day in 2026) and days 91 to 150 ($868 a day)
• 365 additional lifetime hospital days, paid in full
• Part B coinsurance, in most cases 20% of the approved amount
• The first 3 pints of blood under Parts A and B

How do Core, Supplement 1 and Supplement 1A differ?

Based on DOI's 2026 comparison:

• Core. The basic benefits above, plus 60 days per calendar year in a mental health hospital beyond Medicare's 190 lifetime days. Core does not pay the Part A deductible, skilled nursing facility coinsurance, the Part B deductible or foreign travel care.
• Supplement 1A. The basic benefits, plus the Part A deductible ($1,736 per benefit period in 2026), skilled nursing facility coinsurance for days 21 to 100 ($217 a day), foreign travel coverage for Medicare-covered services needed abroad, and 120 mental health hospital days per benefit period. It does not pay the Part B deductible.
• Supplement 1. Everything in Supplement 1A plus the Part B annual deductible ($283 in 2026). Only for people eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. DOI notes that moving from Supplement 1 to 1A may be subject to restrictions.

DOI publishes a yearly listing of every carrier's Core, Supplement 1 and Supplement 1A premiums, and rates must stay in effect for at least 12 months.

When can I enroll?

The state regulation, 211 CMR 71.10, sets these open enrollment periods:

• Part B open enrollment. The six months starting with the first month you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B.
• Initial eligibility. The six months starting with the first month you become initially eligible for coverage.
• Annual open enrollment. February 1 to March 31 every year, for coverage effective June 1 (or when Medicare first takes effect, if earlier). Issuers must send their members a notice about it by January 1.

The same regulation bars Medigap issuers from denying, conditioning or pricing a policy for an eligible person based on age, health status, claims history or medical condition, and says no Massachusetts Medigap policy may have a waiting period or a preexisting condition exclusion.

How does this fit with Medicare's fall enrollment?

Medicare's own Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, with changes taking effect January 1, according to Medicare.gov. That is when you can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D drug plan. People already in a Medicare Advantage plan also have a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31.

The Massachusetts Medigap window, February 1 to March 31, is separate and set by state rules. If you are thinking about moving between Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare with a Medigap plan, map out both calendars before you make a change, so you are not left with a gap.

What should I compare?

• Whether the Part A deductible and skilled nursing coinsurance matter to you, which separates Core from Supplement 1A
• Whether you travel outside the U.S.
• Premiums for the same plan across carriers, using DOI's annual listing
• Whether you also need a separate Part D drug plan
• Your doctors and hospitals, if you are weighing a Medicare Advantage plan instead

FAQ

Can I buy Medigap Plan G or Plan N in Massachusetts? No. Massachusetts uses its own standardized plans: Core, Supplement 1 and Supplement 1A.

Who can still buy Supplement 1? Only people who turned 65 or first became eligible for Medicare (by age, disability or end-stage renal disease) before January 1, 2020.

What is the Massachusetts Medigap annual open enrollment? February 1 to March 31 each year, with coverage effective June 1, under 211 CMR 71.10(5).

Does Supplement 1A pay the Part B deductible? No. In DOI's 2026 comparison, only Supplement 1 covers the $283 Part B deductible.

Where can I get free help comparing plans? Massachusetts' SHINE program offers free health insurance counseling to people eligible for Medicare and their caregivers.

Next step

A licensed local insurance agent can compare Core and Supplement 1A premiums across carriers, check whether a Part D plan is still needed, and help you time any change around the fall Medicare enrollment and the February 1 to March 31 Medigap window. SHINE counselors offer free, unbiased help too.

Sources: Massachusetts Division of Insurance: Medicare Supplement Plans Offered in Massachusetts, 2026 (PDF, updated 12/29/2025), 211 CMR 71.10, Medicare.gov: Joining a plan, Mass.gov: SHINE Program.