09/09/2024
Fall Open Enrollment begins October 15 and ends December 7 each year. (You also might hear it called Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period or Annual Election Period.) During this time, you can make changes to your health insurance coverage, including adding, dropping, or changing your Medicare Advantage and Part D coverage for next year. Even if you’re happy with your current health and drug coverage, Fall Open Enrollment is the time to review what you have, compare it with other options, and make sure that your current coverage will meet your needs for the coming year.
If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan or a stand-alone Part D plan, read your plan’s Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and/or Evidence of Coverage (EOC). If you don’t receive these notices by the end of September, contact your plan to request them. Review these notices for any changes in:
The plan’s costs
The plan’s benefits and coverage rules
The plan’s formulary (list of drugs your plan covers)
Additionally, make sure that your drugs will still be covered next year and that your providers and pharmacies are still in the plan’s network. If you’re unhappy with any of your plan’s changes, you can enroll in a new plan.
Even if you are happy with your current Medicare coverage, it’s still a good idea to see if there’s another plan in your area that will offer you better health and/or drug coverage at a more affordable price. Research shows that people with Medicare prescription drug coverage could lower their costs by shopping among plans each year; there could be another Part D plan in your area that covers the drugs you take with fewer restrictions or lower prices. You can use Medicare’s Plan Finder tool to compare your options.
Supplements (Medigaps) can be shopped at any time of the year. But Part D and Medicare Advantage plans can only be changed October 15 - December 7 for a January 1, 2025 start.
The "donut hole" or Coverage Gap is eliminated this year. Need help, call, we will help. 620-798-7170. Or talk to your Insurance Agent, they should help you shop these plans.
The official U.S. government website for Medicare, a health insurance program for people age 65 or older and younger people with disabilities.
