Medicare Open Enrollment Oct 15 - Dec 7

The Medicare Open Enrollment period is here and  

Modern Insurance Marketing/Senior Choices NW is ready!

Are you?

It’s open enrollment time for Medicare (Oct. 15 to Dec. 7). In other words, if you or your parents are Medicare beneficiaries, this is your annual opportunity to switch from traditional Medicare to a Medicare Advantage private health plan (also known as Medicare Part C) or change Medicare prescription drug plans (known as Medicare Part D). Making the move will help you get the best coverage at the lowest price.  It’s much like open enrollment for health care insurance you may have had through an employer.

Open enrollment is your chance to explore all your Medicare choices and make sure that you have the right coverage for you in the coming year. If what you already have is working for you, then great! You can relax and let open enrollment pass by. However, if your health status or life circumstances have changed, then you may want to change your Medicare coverage, too.

You should have received information from your current plan sponsor in the weeks leading up to open enrollment. It’s important to read this material. It will explain any changes in your plan benefits for the coming year.

Here’s what you can do during open enrollment:

• Change from Original Medicare (Parts A and B) to a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan or vice versa. You remain enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B even when you choose to get your coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan.

• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to a different Medicare Advantage plan. Many Medicare Advantage plans include drug coverage and other extra benefits that you don’t get with Original Medicare. They also often have defined provider and pharmacy networks that you must use. You can choose to go outside the network, but you may pay more for services.

• Switch from one standalone Medicare prescription drug plan to a different Medicare prescription drug plan. You can get a standalone drug plan if you have Original Medicare or certain Medicare Advantage plans (Private Fee-For-Service or Medicare Savings Account.)

• Join a Medicare prescription drug plan or drop your Medicare prescription drug coverage completely. If you drop your drug coverage, you may have to pay more to get it back later.

For more information, go to the Modern Insurance Marketing, Inc. website at www.moderninsurance.com or call us at 1-800-762-4646.  We’ll be happy to help you determine which option is best for you!