Medicare Annual Enrollment Period Is Here

If you’re over 65, we’ve entered the season when your mailbox begins to fill up with advertisements from Medicare Plan carriers wanting to show you the many wonderful benefits they have to offer for the upcoming year. While this can be overwhelming, if not annoying, it does provide you reminders of a couple things:

1. Medicare Advantage Plans are updated EVERY YEAR.
2. You have an opportunity to review and/or change your plan EVERY YEAR.

Many Medicare beneficiaries have been on the same Medicare Advantage Plan for years, and that’s great! If you are fully satisfied with what your carrier has to offer and the network of physicians that accept your plan, then it’s one less thing for you to worry about. 

But whatever your situation, would it be such a bad idea to take a little time and compare what your plan is offering versus the other options available to you? Probably not.

Medicare Annual Enrollment Period

The Medicare ANNUAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD starts on October 15^th and ends on December 7^th. Within these seven weeks, all Medicare Advantage Plan members are free to decide if they want to keep the plan they have, or choose a new one, to start the upcoming year. 

Medicare Advantage Plan carriers are required to have their new plan benefits published by October 1^st. That gives seniors just over two months to complete a plan review.

How Does A Medicare Plan Review Work?

 It is a fairly simple process that takes about 30 minutes of your time. Here are the steps:

1. Schedule your plan review with your trusted Medicare advisor – if you don’t have one, find a local Medicare advisor today!
2. Have the following information handy:
   • The name of the Medicare Advantage Plan you are currently on.
   • A list of physicians and facilities you wish to utilize.
   • A list of medications you are taking or considering.
   • A list of special requirements you have (wheelchair, diabetic supplies, etc)
3.  Decide what is best for you!

A plan review will either leave you confident that you are on the correct plan or it will reveal a plan that is more suitable for you. You really can’t lose!

If you would like to sit down with a local, experienced, and caring Medicare advisor, our team would be happy to schedule a FREE PLAN REVIEW with you. 

Our agents are fully licensed and are knowledgeable on all local Medicare Advantage plans. You could also contact a call center and speak to someone in an entirely different part of the country that may know little about your specific plan or the other available options in the area. But why do that?We can meet with you at our local office, at your home, over the phone, or online. In whatever setting you choose, rest assured that you will be guided by a local agent that can be of service to you year-round and for years to come! Please reach out to us when you’re ready. But remember, the deadline for making a change for next year is December 7^th.