Call (206) 219-5306 to speak with a licensed insurance agent.

Call (206) 219-5306 to speak with a licensed insurance agent.

Medicare Open Enrollment Starts October 15

Posted by Nate Root, October 1, 2015

With the Medicare Open Enrollment Period right around the corner it’s time to start comparing your options so you can save yourself money. Navigating the Medicare system can be complicated. Listed below is an essential guide of what you’ll need to know if you are considering changing your current Medicare plan.

What is it?

The Medicare Open Enrollment Period is when you can change your current Medicare coverage to something that better suits your needs. Health and drug plans can make changes throughout the year so it’s important to review your plan and make sure that it still fits your current needs.

It is important to review the papers that your current plans send you in the mail to be informed of the changes they have made. The “Evidence of Coverage” (EOC) and the “Annual Notice of Change” (ANOC) are two types of documents that would be sent to you if your coverage was changing.

When is it?

Open Enrollment runs from October 15, 2015 through December 7, 2015. Your new coverage would begin January 1, 2016 as well as new costs and benefit changes. Information on next year’s plans will be posted October 1, 2015 so you can start planning early.

If you choose to disenroll from your current Medicare Advantage plan and join Original Medicare you can do so from January 1, 2016 through February 14, 2016.

Why is it important?

Making sure you have the right coverage is important if you want to avoid paying penalties. For instance, not having creditable prescription drug coverage (known as Part D in Medicare), could cost you a monthly fine for as long as you have Medicare coverage.

Getting the best plan for you and your family can save you money on a monthly basis. Waiting until the last minute and getting stuck in a plan that isn’t perfect for you is something you can’t change until the next year’s open enrollment period. According to a study done by PlanPrescriber.com, 42 percent of people wait until the last nine days to apply to change plans. Call your agent early and plan ahead so that you have time to decide what your best options are.

Even if you are satisfied with your plan, ask your agent if there are new plans that could save you money. Contact our office with questions you might have or to see if another plan is better for you and your family.

 

Need more information?

Contact us online to learn more

Contact Us

Close Accessibility Tools
Accessibility Controls Reset
Content Adjustments
Font Size

Default

Line Height

Default

Content Scaling

Default

Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Highlight Forms
Align Left
Align Center
Align Right
Focus Mode
Color Adjustments
Desaturate
Monochrome
Contrast

Default

Saturation

Default

Accessibility Statement

Despite our attempts to make this website accessible for everyone, there may still be some pages or sections that are not completely accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or do not have a suitable technological solution to make them accessible. Nevertheless, we are always striving to enhance our accessibility by adding, updating, improving its options and features, and incorporating new technologies.

We want to provide our users with the best experience possible, so we strive to support as many browsers and assistive technologies as possible.

If you wish to contact this website's owner, please use the contact form on the website.

Our User Interface Adjustment Options

Font adjustments - With this tool, users can modify font size, style, letter spacing, and line height for improved alignment and readability.

Color adjustments - Users can customize their color contrast profiles to light, dark, desaturated, and monochrome.

Content highlighting - Users can prioritize key elements such as links, forms, and titles.

Content focus - Users can enable focus mode to highlight the current page information based on their mouse movement.

Close