Get Ready! Medicare Annual Enrollment Starts October 15

Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period begins on October 15 and ends on December 7 each year. It’s a very important time for you to review and make changes to your Medicare coverage. The changes made during this time will go into effect on January 1 of the next year and run through that year.

If you’re unhappy with your current Medicare coverage or are interested in exploring other coverage options, you don’t want to miss the Annual Enrollment Period. You have until December 7th to make any changes you may want to ensure you’re in the plan that best meets your needs.

What can you do during Medicare Annual Enrollment?

The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is for people who have already enrolled in Medicare. If you’re new to Medicare, you’ll need to wait for your Initial Enrollment Period (your birthday month and the three months before and after it) or the General Enrollment Period that occurs at the beginning of next year to sign up.

If you have already enrolled in Original Medicare (Parts A and B), are in a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) and/or have a Medicare Prescription Drug plan (Part D), the Annual Enrollment Period is when you can make changes to your coverage. You can join or switch to a Medicare Advantage or Part D Prescription Drug plan and get coverage for the next year.

Specifically, you can make the following changes during the Annual Enrollment Period:

• Switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage
• Switch from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare
• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage) to another Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage)
• Join a Medicare Prescription Drug plan (Part D)
• Switch to a different Medicare Prescription Drug plan

How to prepare for Annual Enrollment

With the enrollment period right around the corner, now is the perfect time to get prepared. Here are a few important things to do before it starts:

Review your current plan: There may be changes to your Medicare plan.

• An Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) should have been sent to you in the mail in September informing you about whether there will be any changes to your monthly premiums, benefits, coverage limits or other plan details.
• Review these documents and the changes they outline.
• Consider your needs: Think about your current healthcare needs and the ways they may be changing. Does your current plan still fit them? If you need additional coverage, a lower premium or the ability to see different providers, you might benefit from a different plan.
• Check on your doctors and prescription drugs: If you have a preferred physician and/or take prescription drugs, make sure they are available and covered under your existing Medicare plan. You don’t want to go to the doctor next year only to find they’re no longer in your plan’s network, or that your plan no longer covers the brand-name drug you need.
• Review and compare plans: Whether you think you need a new Medicare plan or not, it’s always a good idea to take a fresh look at your coverage options and compare them to your current plan. Don’t just look at premiums — also consider the overall costs of each plan, the doctors and drugs they cover and the specific benefits they have to offer.

Choosing between Medicare plans isn’t always easy. There’s a lot of information to sort through, and it can be challenging to find the plan that’s best for you.

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