Missed the deadline? You have options!
Did you Miss the December 7th Medicare Annual Open Enrollment Deadline?
Don’t worry, you still have options!
Special Enrollment Periods (or SEPs) allow you to change to another Medicare Part D Prescription Drug or Medicare Part C Advantage plan outside of the annual Open Enrollment Period (from October 15th to December 7th). SEPs are only granted for specific reasons (such as when you move outside of your plan’s service area, qualify for low income assistance in your state or a plethora of other reasons)
One Special Enrollment Period that is available is the 5-star SEP.
If a plan is available in your area, you can use the 5-star Special Enrollment Period for a once-a-year opportunity to switch from your current Medicare plan to a Medicare plan with a “5-star” quality rating. The 5-star SEP is available to you at any time during the plan year. So, if you discover that your plan has changed significantly in January, you are not stuck with it until next year. You can change plans today.
Who is eligible for this SEP?
- Beneficiaries currently enrolled any MA, MAPD or PDP plan (including those that already have a 5-star rating)
- Beneficiaries who are enrolled in Original Medicare and meet the eligibility requirements for Medicare Advantage
Effective dates for enrollments made under the 5-star SEP will be the first of the month following the month the enrollment request is received. Once you enroll in a 5-star plan using this SEP, the individual’s SEP ends for that plan year and the individual will be limited to making changes only during other applicable election periods. To summarize, the 5-star rating SEP can only be used one time during the plan year.
For more information you can visit the official Medicare website at Medicare.gov.
Please call today while your questions are fresh in your mind. There will never be any cost to you for my assistance or for a friendly, no-obligation chat.