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Medicare Open Enrollment Schedule: When You Can Change Medicare Advantage Plans

By Chad Kiser

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 10Nov2009
Word count: 427
Viewed: 358 time(s)

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The last six weeks of each calendar year is the period of time known to Medicare beneficiaries as the Medicare open enrollment cycle. This means from November 15th to December 31st of each year, recipients of Medicare can make changes to their plans and see those changes take place on January 10th of the following calendar year.

Medicare users will have the option of selecting a different Medicare plan, going with Medicare only, adding or changing a supplemental insurance policy or adding or making changes to their prescription drug coverage plans.

If a beneficiary is happy with his or her existing plan, then no changes are needed and the current plan will rollover to the next year.

Medicare experts say it is best to make any changes you intend to make as soon as possible. This is to prevent the chance that your changes are not up-to-date the next year and you face difficulties at the pharmacy counter. In other words, the faster you can make your decision, the better.

It is recommended that each and every Medicare recipient carefully review all options. Take a close look at various plan choices to find the best option and for you and your family. If you do not want to make changes, then nothing is required on your part. If you do, like mentioned earlier, do them as quickly as possible to avoid delays and confusion.

If you decide to make changes, you can do so in any of the following ways:

- Ask the representative from the plan you have chosen to complete a paper application for you or to assist you in enrolling on the Internet. If you cannot reach your personal representative, you can call the toll-free number for the company and get assistance enrolling by telephone.

- You can also enroll online at Medicare's official website or by calling Medicare directly and get enrolled by phone.

No matter which method of enrolling you choose, you will need to be prepared to provide your full name, address, social security number, Medicare card information, your email address (if you have one), the name of a close living relative or friend to use as an emergency contact and the name and contact information for the nursing home or assisted living facility you reside in (if applicable).

A few weeks after you complete your application and enrollment, you will get a packet from the company managing your plan. It will include your membership card, a plan handbook, a prescription and physician list, the appeal process instructions and other information.

To Learn More About Medicare Open Enrollment and the Medicare Application Process, Visit the Medicare and Medicaid Resource and News Center at http://medicare-medicaid.com

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