enrollment

MEDICARE ADVANTAGE & PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLANS

Before you enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan or Drug plan (Part D), make sure you have Medicare. You should have a red, white, and blue Medicare card if you’re signed up for Medicare. You’ll need Hospital (Part A) and Medical (Part B) to join a Medicare Advantage Plan.   To enroll in a Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plan, you only need one Part (A or B).

Annual Election Period (AEP)

If you have been in Medicare for more than 3 months, every year between October 15 and December 7 you can add, change or drop Medicare Advantage plan or Prescription drug plan.   This enrollment time is for everyone in Medicare.

Outside AEP (October 15 – December 7) you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan or drug plan, or make changes to coverage you already have only during these specific times:

Initial Enrollment Period (New to Medicare)

You can join a Medicare Advantage Plan or drug plan during the 7-month period that starts 3 months before the month you turn 65, includes the month you turn 65, and ends 3 months after the month you turn 65.

Special Enrollment Period

You may be able to join, switch, or drop your Medicare Advantage Plan and drug coverage when certain events happen in your life (like if you move or you lose other insurance coverage). Rules about when you can make changes and the type of changes you can make are different for each Special Enrollment Period.

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period

January 1 – March 31 each year, you can make these changes:

• If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan (with or without drug coverage), you can switch to another Medicare Advantage Plan (with or without drug coverage).
• You can drop your Medicare Advantage Plan and return to Original Medicare. You’ll also be able to join a drug plan.

Note: If you enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan during your Initial Enrollment Period, you can change to another Medicare Advantage Plan (with or without drug coverage) or go back to Original Medicare (with or without a drug plan) within the first 3 months you have Medicare.

There are special circumstances that also allow you to enroll in a plan.  Check Medicare.gov for more information.

This information can be found at medicare.gov.

MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT PLANS

As mentioned before on the Medicare Supplement page, you can add, change or drop a Medicare Supplement any time (for most companies, the change takes effect the first of the following month).   However, when adding or changing your Medicare Supplement plan, you will be subject to medical underwriting unless you are in Open Enrollment or have a Guaranteed Issue Right (See the Medicare Supplement page).