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Are you Turning 65 or newly eligible?
This is what is known as your Initial Enrollment Period. This is a 7-month period that begins 3 months before the month you turn age 65, includes the month you turn age 65, and ends 3 months after the month you turn age 65. You have this entire period do determine which option is best for you. Call us today so we can help you with this review process.
Annual Review of Your Options - October
Contact Apropos to help you Compare Your Medicare Coverage Choices to see if there's a better choice for you.
Annual Enrollment Period - Oct 15th - Dec 7th
This is the annual election period for both drug plans and Medicare Advantage Plans (MA Plans). If you join, switch, or disenroll from a plan during this period, the change will become effective on January 1st of the upcoming year. You have one election per enrollment period, however the last election you make during Oct 15th - Dec 7th is the one that counts as your election.
***NEW*** Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period - January 1st through Feburary 14th
As a result of the new changes in health care reform, the Annual Open Enrollment Period has been changed to the Annual Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period. You can disenroll from a Medicare Advantage Plan and return to Original Medicare. The effective date of your disenrollment will be the first day of the month after Medicare receives the disenrollment request. For example, a request made in January will be effective February 1, and a request made in February will be effective March 1.
If you use the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period to disenroll from your current Medicare Advantage Plan you are eligible for a special enrollment period (SEP) to enroll in a prescription drug plan (PDP) during the same time frame. You may request enrollment in a prescription drug plan immediately after your disenrollment from your Medicare Advantage Plan or you may enroll into the prescription drug plan of your choice and you will be automatically disenrolled from your Medicare Advantage Plan once your prescription drug plan becomes effective.
General Enrollment Period for Medicare Part B - Jan 1st - March 31st
If you didn't sign up for Part B when you first became eligible, you may be able to sign up during January 1-March 31 each year. Your coverage will begin on July 1. You may have to pay a late enrollment penalty of 10% for each full 12-month period that you could have had Part B, but didn't sign up for it. There are exceptions to the penalty, for instance if you were covered under your group health insurance or your spouse's group health plan, you would not be subject to the late enrollment penalty and can enroll during a Special Enrollment Period.
Special Enrollment Period for Part B
If you wait to sign up for Part B because you or your spouse is currently working, and you are covered by a group health plan based on that work, or if you are disabled and you or a family member is working, and you are covered by a group health plan based on that work. You can sign up for Part B anytime while you have group health plan coverage based on current employment or during the 8-month period that begins the month after the employment ends, or the group health plan coverage ends, whichever happens first. If you have COBRA coverage, you must enroll during the 8-month period that begins the month after the employment ends. This Special Enrollment Period doesn't apply to people with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).
Note: If you are age 65 or older, after you sign up for Part B, you have a 6-month Medigap open enrollment period which gives you a guaranteed right to buy a Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) policy. Once this period starts, it can't be delayed or replaced.
