We’re down to only a few days before the end of the Medicare Open Enrollment period, which ends, Saturday, Dec. 7.
Open Enrollment started Oct. 15. If you are eligible for Medicare, and you have not acted yet, you have very little time to take any action during this annual period when you can make adjustments to your Medicare health and drug plans.
Medicare open enrollment – also known as the annual election period or annual coordinated election period – refers to the annual period (October 15 through December 7) during which Medicare plan enrollees can reevaluate their coverage — whether it’s Original Medicare with supplemental drug coverage, or Medicare Advantage — and make changes if they want to do so.
During Medicare open enrollment, a beneficiary can:
You should not simply assume that your providers are offering you the same plans as last year. Medicare health and drug plan providers can and often do make changes each year – things like cost, coverage and what providers and pharmacies are in their networks.
You should have received in the mail prior to the start of the open-enrollment period several documents including the “Evidence of Coverage” (EOC) and “Annual Notice of Change” (ANOC). If your existing plan’s coverage changes, you should verify that the new terms meet your needs. If you’re happy with your current plan and believe it will meet your needs for next year, you don’t need to do anything, although you may want to compare your current plan to other options, but you must do it quickly. Any changes made by your providers could result in considerable new out-of-pocket expenses for you.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has made it simpler than ever to review your options. Simply go to https://www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE to learn more.