The Medicare fall open enrollment season is here, which means that you are on the clock to enroll or change your existing plan. Instead of getting overwhelmed by advertising and different options, here is what every Medicare-eligible adult needs to know about Medicare re-enrollment this year.
The Dates to Mark on Your Calendar
- October 15-December 7: This is the Medicare fall open enrollment period
- January 1, 2020: This is when you will be able to start using your new Medicare plan and coverage
What Should You Do?
Your current Medicare carrier should have already sent you an Annual Notice of Change letter. This will detail any changes to your plan that will be taking effect in January and allow you to decide whether or not you would like to explore other plans. If you have a separate Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plan, you might receive two separate letters.
If you like the current plans you are enrolled in and none of the changes in the letters will negatively affect you, you do not need to change your plan.
What Changes Can You Make During Open Enrollment?
You have a broad range of changes that you can make if you would like, including:
- Keeping all of your Medicare coverage the same and allowing your policies to auto-renew
- Enrolling in, leaving or changing your Medicare Part D prescription drug plan
- Switching from a Medicare Advantage plan to a traditional Medicare plan
- Switching from a traditional Medicare plan to a Medicare Advantage plan
- Swapping from one Medicare Advantage plan to a different one
The Reasons to Change Your Plan
Secure Benefits Alliance is happy to talk to you about your specific situation, but some of the most common reasons why patients change their Medicare plan include:
- The plan is dropping coverage for one of the prescriptions that the patient relies on in the next year.
- The plan is dropping their primary care doctor from their network.
- The plan’s premium is drastically increasing.
To get help changing your plan during open enrollment, contact our team for free help!
Take Advantage of Medicare Open Enrollment with Secure Benefits Alliance
Secure Benefits Alliance is proud to be Medicare problem solvers for thousands of patients throughout the greater Baltimore area. There is no cost to use our services and take advantage of our wealth of Medicare knowledge. To have your Medicare or health insurance questions answered by our knowledgeable team, contact Secure Benefits Alliance today by calling 443-912-5467 (TTY: 711).