Medicare’s annual enrollment period is only a few short weeks away. The open enrollment period starts Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7. Any people on Medicare must use this time period to review your plan and make any changes you desire. Any changes you make during this period go into effect Jan. 1, 2018.
It is strongly advised that you use this time to review even if you are satisfied with your 2017 plan.
During this period you should be looking at a number of things, including options regarding traditional Medicare, Part D prescription drug plans and Part C Medicare Advantage plans. If you want to change something with your plan, it must be done by Dec. 7.
This review should begin with determining if your Part D and Medicare Advantage providers are changing anything in their coverage. If you do have Medicare Advantage or Part D plans, you should receive an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) from your current plan by this Saturday, Sept. 30. The ANOC would describe any changes in plan coverage, costs or service area. Nevertheless, it doesn’t hurt to confirm with your provider whether there were any changes.
You can find 2018 plan information at the Medicare website: www.medicare.gov. For specific information about the Part D program, you can go to this link at the Center for Medicare Advocacy website. And to learn more about Medicare Advantage, the Center for Medical Advocacy has a site you can reach using this link.
While Dec. 7 seems far off, it’s best to start working on this right away. If you don’t make whatever changes you want before Dec. 7, your coverage could be impacted, and you can face penalties if you try to do it later.