Medicare Open Enrollment: Five Things You Need to Do
Reading Time: 3 MinutesLast Updated: November 30, 2015
Routines help keep us focused, organized, and even healthy. However, if your health routine doesn’t include preparing for Medicare’s Open Enrollment, now’s the time to kick-start a new healthy habit.
If you have a Medicare health or prescription drug plan, you should review and compare coverage options. The Open Enrollment runs through December 7 and is the time you can make changes to your plan. Even if you’re happy with your current coverage, you might find a better fit for your budget or your health needs. If you miss an Open Enrollment deadline, you’ll most likely have to wait a full year before you can change your plan.
Here are five things every Medicare beneficiary can do to get in the Medicare Open Enrollment routine.
- Review your plan notice. Be sure to read any notices from your Medicare plan about changes for next year, especially your “Annual Notice of Change” letter. Look at your plan’s information to make sure your drugs are still covered and your doctors are still in network.
- Think about what matters most to you. Medicare health and drug plans change each year and so can your health needs. Do you need a new primary care doctor? Does your network include the specialist you want for an upcoming surgery? Does your current plan cover your new medications? Does another plan offer the same value at a lower cost? Take stock of your health status and determine if you need to make a change.
- Find out if you qualify for help paying for your Medicare. Learn about programs in your state to help with the costs of Medicare premiums, your Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Medicare Part B (medical insurance) deductibles, coinsurance and co-payments, and Medicare prescription drug coverage costs. Visit Medicare.gov or make an appointment with a local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor if you need help.
- Shop for plans that meet your needs and fit your budget. You can use the Medicare Plan Finder tool to see what other plans are offered in your area. A new plan may:
- Cost less;
- Cover your drugs costs; or
- Let you use the providers you want, like your doctor or pharmacy.
If you find that your current coverage still meets your needs, then you don’t need to make any changes. Remember, during Medicare Open Enrollment, you can decide to stay in Original Medicare or join a Medicare Advantage Plan. If you’re already in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you can switch back to Original Medicare.
- Check your plan’s star rating before you enroll. The Medicare Plan Finder includes Star Ratings for the 2016 Medicare health and prescription drug plans. Plans are rated for quality on a one- to five-star scale: one star represents poor performance and five stars represent excellent performance. Be sure to use the ratings to compare the quality of any health and drug plans you are considering.
These are a few easy ways to get a jump-start on your Medicare Open Enrollment. For more information, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and say “Agent.” TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. Help is available 24 hours a day, including weekends. If you need help in a language other than English or Spanish, let the customer service representative know the language. You can also visit a local SHIP counselor. SHIP counselors provide free, one-on-one, non-biased Medicare assistance. Get free personalized health insurance counseling by calling your SHIP at the number listed on the Medicare contacts page or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
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Tags: Medicare, social security, SSA
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Dr. Patrick Conway, CMS Principal Deputy Administrator and Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Patrick Conway, CMS Principal Deputy Administrator and Chief Medical Officer
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Shena
Hi. Medicare health insurance enrollment. do I have to wait for Medicare until I turn 65 . Or can I apply before age of 65. Plz reply. Thanks.
L.A.
Hi Shena. Thank you for your question. If you are already getting Social Security retirement benefits, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B when you turn 65. However, if you are receiving Social Security disability benefits, you will be automatically enrolled 24 months after you started receiving the disability benefits. To learn more about Medicare go to our Frequently Asked Questions, and see our publication titled “Medicare.” We hope this helps.
Robert c.
I am in the process of changing Medicare advantage plans from Humana to United health , but I received a letter from United health that I am being penalized for not signing up for prescription coverage by Medicare , from 2009 to 2019, I don’t quite understand I was never on prescription coverage and I am still not signing up for it because I am not on any prescriptions , why am I being penalized? I retired in 2005 and purposely didn’t sign up understanding that it was an option to be covered for drugs. I would appreciate your response. My name is Robert Caruso. E mail is bobcaruso1@gmail.com .
A.C.
Hi, Robert. Unfortunately, your question is a bit more complex than we can handle in this forum. For your security, we do not have access to information about your account in this venue. To get additional information on Medicare benefits, check out http://www.medicare.gov/. You may also wish to contact your local Medicare SHIP (State Health Insurance Program Coordinator) to discuss your options. We hope this helps.
William D.
Hi guys, here is the skinny of my story my cousin Jason Jay as he now likes to be called Jay Arnold, invited over on a holiday to Cebu Phillippines which I found surprising because we weren’t getting on at all I was even advised against it by our aunty but I thought she was just being an old hen clucking too much. Anyway I went Jay even paid for the ticket and hotel which was a nice hotel for the first three nights then his driver/personal assistant RJ came and picked me up saying Jay wanted me to move closer to the city Cebu city centre then I find out next place is a complete dive where the owner ran his own dental practice inside the same building. All of this was confusing to me because our uncle who lived with Jason for a good
number Years in Cebu and upstate New York, had told me Jason owned a mansion in the Philippines. Jay had also his friends and in-laws’ Freddy our uncle was dead while he was still alive living in an old persons home on the grounds of the Nazareth house in Sligo Ireland although he was sick but certainly not dead and I found out from RJ that Jason was also paying him to be our uncles care, giver, because it was cheaper than paying a nurse. Jay sold one of his houses’ in upstate New York two million dollars he also ran his own very successful property business which he was the CEO anyway I digress when leaving Cebu I had bought a model ship on the streets of Cebu city, from some hawker, as a souvenir. Later I was to find out that RJ had planted drugs in the said model ship on the order of his boss Jason Arnold my cousin. I had passed through four sets of customs including Cebu and the AUE and UK customs. Anyway, RJ died shortly after of “cancer” jays wife is a leading oncologist from the Philippines Dr Florence P Arnold MD, RJ PAID in (karma). Unfortunately with all the stress I suffered a serious stroke but thank God am still alive. One of Jay’s inlaws in Cebu is Mr small penis himself at least that’s what Jay kept calling him, and he didn’t protest. I don’t know how Jay knew that, anyway his proper title Cebu city councillor Joel Garganega
Craig P.
Would Step-children’s SSI from Fathers Pension effect my Medicare Extra Help Assistance…
Glenna S.
2 yrs ago I had Humana Gold Plus which an amount of $? Was taken from my S S. I reported my military marriage therefore I did not need my Humana Gold Plus plan as I now have Tri Care for Life. I want to make sure I have no more $ monies taken out of my S S. I went from Glenna Stack to Glenna Stout born 7/23/1941. Please advise ASAP.
L.A.
Hi Glenda. If you have coverage under a program from the Department of Defense, your health benefits may change or end when you become eligible for Medicare. You should contact the Department of Defense or a military health benefits adviser, for information before you decide whether to terminate Medicare medical insurance. For more information on how other health insurance plans work with Medicare, call the Medicare toll-free number, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), and ask for Medicare and Other Health Benefits: Your Guide to Who Pays First (Publication No. CMS-02179). You may also wish to contact your local Medicare SHIP (State Health Insurance Program Coordinator) to discuss your options. We hope this helps.
PATRICK K.
I am 65 and working with “credible” medical benefits.
I want to decline medicare until I am 70.
How can I do that?
Crystal D.
Is there a number I can call for assistance in completing the online application for Medicare benefits A & B? I am unable to proceed online as it prevents me from going further when I indicate that I currently have insurance that has not ended; however, I am unable to respond to “state with whom I’m currently employed” as I retired August 31, 2016. I am able to get insurance through my former employer until I qualify for Medicare which is January 1, 2019.
Thank you,
Crystal Hummel
hummelcmorris@gmail.com
A.C.
Hi, Crystal. For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. Generally, you will have a shorter wait if you call later in the day. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Sun N.
I have tried to make an appointment on-line, unsuccessful. Tried to call, the message said we are too busy and discontinued the phone.
How do I make an appointment?
L.A.
Hi Sun. Currently, you cannot make an appointment online. But, you can schedule a phone appointment by calling us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. You will generally have a shorter wait time if you call later in the week. We hope this helps.
Robert N.
I have been retired from the NCDOT since 2015 and I recieve my social security already. I am 64 yrs. old and will be 65 by June 15, 2020. Will SS automaticly enroll me in Medicare pior to my birthday.
A.C.
Hi, Robert. Thanks for your question. If you are already getting Social Security retirement benefits, you will be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B automatically. However, because you must pay a premium for Part B coverage, you have the option of turning it down. To learn more about Medicare, visit here. We hope this helps.
kenny s.
when can I add parts b&d to my medicare
L.A.
Hi Kenny. Thanks for your question. If you already have Medicare Part A and wish to sign up for Medicare Part B, please contact your local Social Security office or call our toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Representatives are available Monday through Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Generally, you’ll have a shorter wait time if you call later in the day. Open enrollment for Medicare is October 15 through December 7. For information and how to apply for Medicare Part D, visit Medicare online and click on the section titled “Drug Coverage (Part D).” Once there, visit the section titled, “Find health & drug plans.” On that page, you can review, compare and join a 2014 plan for Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage). We hope this is helpful.