Make Changes During Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment

Although most Medicare beneficiaries carefully compare Advantage plans before selecting one, it is possible to find yourself feeling stuck with a plan that doesn’t meet your needs or preferences. If that’s the case, you aren’t necessarily stuck with the plan for another year. During the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, you can evaluate other Advantage plans and make certain changes.

This Open Enrollment Period applies to Advantage plan enrollees only, and runs from January 1 to March 31. This opportunity can only be used once, but during this time you can:

• Switch from your current Advantage plan to a different Advantage plan
• Drop your Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and add a Part D plan if you prefer

However, this Open Enrollment Period cannot be used to switch from Original Medicare to an Advantage plan. You must wait until the Annual Election Period, from October 15 to December 7, in order to make that change. You also cannot switch from one Part D plan to another at this time.

Reasons for double checking your plan, and making changes during Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment, include (but are not limited to):

• You didn’t understand your plan when you first chose it, and have discovered something you don’t like about it
• You’ve worked with an independent insurance broker and have realized another Advantage plan would better suit your needs
• You’ve discovered that your Advantage plan does not cover a necessary medication
• You are concerned about your current plan’s co-pays and deductible, and want to investigate other, possibly lower-cost, options
• Your preferred provider is not covered under your current plan
• Or you’ve discovered anything else that makes you feel less than satisfied with your current plan

It’s always a good idea to investigate all of the options available to you, to see if another Advantage plan could be a better fit for your needs or budget. Remember, consulting with an independent insurance broker is free, so you might as well take advantage of this service. Give us a call and we will walk you through your Medicare Advantage plan options.