anyone over the age of 65 needs medicare coverage
When looking at Medicare, you will notice that there is an annual open enrollment period and you might not know what this is. It is important that you understand what open enrollment is and how it can help you get the best coverage from your Medicare plan.
What Is Open Enrollment
Each year from October 15 to December 7, the Medicare open enrollment period runs. This is a very important period for anyone who has Medicare because it is the only time that you are able to change your existing benefits plan. During this period, only beneficiaries will be able to change their benefits plan and you need to look into this.
If you do not have Medicare yet, the open enrollment period will not affect you as much. However, it is important to note that you will be eligible for Medicare at the age of 65. You can enroll for the health insurance plans 90 days before your 65th birthday and you need to consider this.
Medicare Plans Can Change
Many people do not realize that Medicare plans can and do change over time. Your insurer will generally send you mail which outlines all of the changes that are coming. If you do not get a notice or feel you might have missed it, you should contact your insurer before the open enrollment period. If you don’t yet have an insurer, you welcome to contact us, we’d be happy to help.
There are a number of ways that plans can change including a change to the premium you have to pay. The list of medication that will be covered by the plan in the next year can also change as well as the cost of the medication. The percentage that the plan pays for different medical expenses can also change which is something that you need to know about.
Understanding the changes to your plan before open enrollment will give you a better understanding of what you are getting in the new year. If there are changes that cause the plan to no longer be ideal for your needs, you need to know about this before open enrollment. As this is the only time that you are able to change the plan, it is vital that you understand whether or not you should be changing your plan.
Plans Your Preferred Doctors Accept
Before open enrollment, you will want to contact your preferred doctor and talk to the billing department. You need to find out which Medicare plans the doctor will be accepting next year. If they are going to be dropping your existing Medicare plan, you need to know what plans you could look at changing to.
If you do not change your plan during open enrollment to one that is accepted by the doctor, you will no longer be able to visit them. If you do choose to visit the doctor, you will be liable for the entire cost of the visit instead of the co-payment only.
Look At Ratings On Plans
Once you know that you need to change your plan, you need to look at the plans that are on offer. There are many different plans that you can choose, but not all of them will be ideal. This is why you need to look at the ratings on the plans.
The Medicare website does allow you to research the performance ratings and quality of the plan. This is something that you need to do because you do not want to change to a plan that has poor ratings. When looking at the ratings, you should carefully consider the ratings of all the plans that you might want to choose.
Do You Have To Contact Your Insurer?
If you are going to be changing your Medicare plan, you might wonder what you need to do after the change. You will not have to contact your current insurance provider when you change the plan. The old plan will automatically be canceled when you change and you will have a new card sent to you.
Open enrollment is the only time of the year when you are able to change your Medicare plan. It is important that you know when this is and how to make the most of the period.
Why Go It Alone
If you have any questions or would like more information, please call us at 1 800 717 2183 or visit our contact page and send us a message.