Navigating Medicare Open Enrollment
If you have Medicare coverage, the Medicare Open Enrollment period is a good time to review your options, compare costs, and make sure that your current Medicare coverage meets your needs.
When is Medicare Open Enrollment? Open Enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7 of each year. During this window, anyone with Medicare can make changes to their Medicare coverage that will be effective for the following calendar year.
What can you do during Open Enrollment? During Open Enrollment, you can:
- Switch from Original Medicare (Parts A and B) to a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C), or vice versa
- Change from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another Medicare Advantage Plan
- Enroll in, drop, or switch from one stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan to another
If you’re happy with Original Medicare or your current plan, should you still review your coverage? Each year, Medicare plans make changes to their costs, coverage, and network of providers. Prescription drug coverage can also change. Even if you are satisfied with your current coverage, Open Enrollment is your chance to see if you can make changes that could help save you money or enhance your benefits.
You can review your plan’s Annual Notice of Change that lists changes to your plan’s coverage, costs, or service area to find out if your current doctors and prescriptions are still covered and affordable. Any changes to your plan will take effect on January 1, 2026.
Are there other times you can make changes? In addition to the Open Enrollment period, there are Special Enrollment periods for certain life events, such as moving to a new address or losing another form of coverage.
There is also a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment period which allows you to switch to another Medicare Advantage Plan (with or without drug coverage) or drop your Medicare Advantage Plan and go back to Original Medicare. If you’re already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, this period runs from January 1 through March 31. If you are new to Medicare and enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan, this period runs from the first month you’re eligible for both Parts A and B, until the last day of the third month you’re first eligible.
If you have questions about Medicare, call 1-800-MEDICARE or visit the Medicare website at medicare.gov. Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program can also help you sort through your options.
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