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Medicare has specific times when members can make changes to their plans. Most Medicare beneficiaries are aware of the Annual Enrollment Period, the time of the year when many Medicare Advantage and Part D plan members review their coverage and check out different plans. Due to certain circumstances, there may be other times when Medicare members can make a change to their health plan coverage.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP)
The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP) goes from January 1st through March 31st. OEP was designed to allow Medicare Advantage plan members to make one change to their health plan coverage. For more information on OEP, check out our blog post by clicking here.
Special Enrollment Periods (SEP)
When a Medicare beneficiary has certain life events occur, such as moving or losing coverage, they are entitled to enroll in a different plan. This opportunity to make a change to your coverage is called a Special Enrollment Period (SEP).
Each SEP has specific rules regarding when the Medicare member can make changes and what changes they can make. In certain instances, Medicare will grant a Special Enrollment Period for a group of people. For example, individuals who were impacted by wildfires in California were granted a Special Enrollment Period to make a change to their plan.
To determine if you have a Special Enrollment Period you can contact your insurance agent or check out Medicare’s list of SEPs by clicking here.
Special Needs Plans (SNPs)
Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are a type of Medicare Advantage plan designed specifically for people who meet specific criteria. There are different types of SNPs such as plans for people who have Medicare and MediCal, people who live in a nursing home, or people with certain medical conditions. If there is a Special Needs Plan in your area that you qualify for you are allowed by Medicare to enroll in that plan any time during the year.
Most Medicare members are aware that they can make changes to their Medicare Advantage or drug plan during the Annual Enrollment Period. Many people don’t realize that under certain circumstances, there are other times when it is possible to change Medicare health plans. To find out if you qualify to change, contact your insurance agent or give us a call at (800) 398-8714.
About the Author
Christina Valenzuela is the co-owner of Vista Mutual Insurance Services, an insurance agency that focuses exclusively on the needs of Medicare beneficiaries. She has worked in the Medicare insurance industry since 2006 and is a licensed insurance producer in multiple states.
The information in this document has been gathered from Medicare.gov. Although we strive to be as accurate as possible, any differences between this document and the information on Medicare.gov will be governed by the information on Medicare.gov.
