About a year ago, I could tell that there were some issues with our medical insurance. It seemed like whenever we went to the doctor, we were left wondering why the bill was so high, which really made me worry about the situation. I started focusing more carefully on what to do about the situation, and within a few short weeks, I was going through our policies to see where the problem was. I found out that my claims were being processed improperly, so working with my insurance company made things better. This blog is here to help anyone who has ever had to resolve medical insurance problems.
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Resolving Medical Insurance Problems
Understanding The Two Open Enrollment Periods For Medicare Changes
Wendy Bryant
When looking for — or making changes to— a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan, there are two relevant times of the year. These periods are referred to as open enrollment periods. Open enrollment is when you can enroll in or make changes to your existing coverage outside your initial enrollment period. While both periods are called open enrollment, there are things you can do during one block of time you can't do during the other. Here is an outline of when you can do what.
October 15 - December 7
You often see Medicare commercials air during the late summer months. During this season, Medicare plans will begin to advertise additional benefits offered by their plans for the upcoming year. This publicity is because October 15 through December 7 is the open enrollment period for Medicare.
During these weeks, you can make almost any changes you need to your existing Medicare plans. Any changes made during this period will take effect as of January 1 of the following year. These changes are called annual changes because your choices are often permanent until open enrollment the following year.
Some changes you can perform during this time include some of the following:
- Change to or from your original Medicare to one of the many Medicare Advantage Plans on the market
- Switch between Medicare Advantage plans
- Add a Medicare drug plan
- Drop a Medicare drug plan
- Switch from one Medicare drug plan to another
It is important to note that this is the only time you can switch from your Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan or add a Medicare drug plan to your Original Medicare. You can not make those changes during the other enrollment period.
January 1 - March 31
January 1 - March 31 presents Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. While you were able to make a wide range of changes to your Medicare during the fall of the year, there are only limited changes you can make during this time.
You can switch once from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another or switch back to Original Medicare and join a drug plan. What you cannot do during this period is switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan.
You also cannot add a drug plan to your existing Medicare at this time. You must perform both of those changes during the fall enrollment. Any changes you make during this period become effective on the first day of the month following your submitted changes.
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