Medicare open enrollment typically runs from late October into December every year. During this period, you can review your coverage and make changes if necessary. Of course, you don’t want to make any miscalculations during the open enrollment period that could affect your coverage until next year. Here are a few considerations you may want to make:
DO: Know Which Changes You Can Make
There are several changes you can make during Medicare’s open enrollment period. If you have original Medicare, you can sign up for a Part D plan to cover your prescription drugs. You can also choose to leave Medicare and sign up for a private Medicare Advantage plan.
If you currently have a Medicare Advantage plan, you can opt to switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan, or you can leave Medicare Advantage for original Medicare and choose a Medicare Part D plan.
DO: Consider Any Changes in Your Healthcare Needs
Is your current coverage meeting your needs? If not, now is an excellent time to make a change. For example, you may have been diagnosed with a condition in the past year requiring expensive prescriptions. In that case, you may want to add Part D coverage to your traditional Medicare. Do you need coverage that traditional Medicare doesn’t offer, like vision, dental, or hearing? Some Medicare Advantage plans can cover these categories, so it’s worth looking into them.
DO: Get Advice About Your Coverage
Each state has its own State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) that provides unbiased counseling and advice about healthcare coverage. Follow this link to find the SHIP for your state and address your questions to them.
DON’T: Feel Pressured
While the Medicare open enrollment period is the only time you can make changes to your Medicare plan, it’s not a requirement. If you are happy with your current coverage and don’t anticipate any changes to your healthcare needs in the next year, there is no need to make any changes. If you have spoken to a private company that offers Medicare Advantage plans, they may try to pressure you into changing your coverage. Again, if you don’t need to make any changes, don’t feel pressured to do so.
DON’T: Miss the Deadline for Open Enrollment
As we said, you have until December 7th to make any changes to your Medicare coverage. If you miss the deadline, you may have to keep your coverage the same until next year. Of course, if you miss the deadline, it’s not the end of the world. You may qualify for a special enrollment period under certain circumstances. These include:
- Losing your healthcare coverage
- Moving
- Getting married
- Having a baby or adopting a child
- Your household income is below a certain amount
Depending on your particular enrollment period type, you may have 60 days before and 60 days after the event occurs to enroll in a plan or make changes.
Before you take advice from a private company selling Medicare Advantage plans, seek the advice of a Medicare specialist who will act in your best interest. Contact Heather Scurti, our community liaison at Slutsky Elder Law, at 443-299-2121 to learn more about reputable Medicare specialists who have a vast knowledge of Medicare to assist your family.
Elder Law Attorney in Chester County, PA
For more than 30 years, Attorney Robert Slutsky has dedicated his practice to the issues that affect seniors the most. Call (610) 940-0650 if you need an elder law attorney in Malvern, PA, or anywhere nearby. Robert Slutsky can answer your elder law concerns, including powers of attorney, Medicaid asset protection, and general estate planning.