Although options are limited, there are options if a person missed the Annual Enrollment Period or changed to a Medicare Plan a person is not happy with.
1. If you are on a Medicare Supplement (Medi-gap), the rules are different than for Medicare Advantage Plans. In California, if you have a Medicare Supplement, you can use the Birthday Open Enrollment Period, which begins on your birthday and ends 60-days following your date of birth. This period allows you to compare plans with the same or fewer benefits and change plans during that period of desired with no medical history questions. Medicare Supplement members can also change supplements outside that period, however, in this case they are subject to a review of medical history and are not guaranteed to be approved.
Most people on this type of plan have a separate Prescription Drug Plan. Unfortunately, changing drug plans is not allowed outside the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15-December 7) unless a person qualifies for a Special Enrollment Period, such as a change in permanent residence from one state to another.
2. If you are on a Medicare Advantage Plan, you have the right to make one change during the Open Enrollment Period, January 1- March 31. During this period, a person is allowed to change to another Medicare Advantage Plan. Someone may want to make this change depending on the doctors they want to see and/or how their prescriptions are covered.
During this period, a person can also leave the Medicare Advantage Plan and return to Original Medicare and enroll in a separate stand-alone drug plan. However, enrollment in a Medicare Supplement is not guaranteed to be approved, based on medical history, using this enrollment period.
For more information, or to navigate a change, it’s best to use a knowledgeable agent who contracts with many companies and plans and has experience using these different enrollment periods. Some information can also be found on medicare.gov.
For expert guidance call Marv Law from Healthbridge Insurance Solutions at 760-345-4705
