Also known as Medicare Part C, these plans are offered by private insurance companies who are contracted with Medicare to provide your Part A (hospital) benefits, your Part B (medical) benefits, and often times your Part D (prescription drug) benefits.

Typically you can only enroll into a Medicare Advantage plan during certain periods. Your first opportunity occurs when you first become eligible for Medicare and is called your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). At that point you have a 7 month window to enroll which includes 3 months before, the month of, and 3 months following your Part B effective date.

Another time frame to enroll or change plans is during the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) which occurs each year between October 15th and December 7th. If you miss this period and already have a Medicare Advantage plan but would like to look at other plan options, one additional time frame where you can make a change is the Open Enrollment Period (OEP). This runs from January 1st to March 31st each year and is for those who already have a Medicare Advantage plan. During the OEP, you are allowed to make one plan change which includes going to another Medicare Advantage plan or going back to Original Medicare and selecting a standalone prescription drug plan.

If you don’t fall into one of these enrollment periods you may still qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). Many people qualify for a SEP based on factors such as moving counties or states, losing their current healthcare coverage, or they simply may fall within certain income limits allowing them to make year-round changes. Additionally, each plan offers different benefits and is City & County specific.

Please call us to learn more as we’d be happy to review your enrollment period eligibility and determine which plans are available in your area.