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This year marks the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson signing into law the Medicare program. Since its inception July 30, 1965 the program has seen many changes. Medicare and Medicaid started as basic insurance programs for Americans who didn’t have health insurance, the programs have changed over the years to provide more and more Americans with access to quality and affordable health care.

Open Enrollment

You don’t need to sign up for Medicare each year. However, each year you have a chance to review your coverage and make changes. Most Medicare beneficiaries should receive an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and Evidence of Coverage (EOC) from their existing Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plan providers by September 30th.

Individual Medicare plans can change each year—things like cost, coverage, and which providers and pharmacies are in network. So it is important, that each year during the open enrollment period you dedicate some time to review your plan.

During this open enrollment period you can make changes to various aspects of your coverage.

You can switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, or vice versa.
You can also switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another; or from one Medicare Part D (prescription drug) plan to another.
And if you didn’t enroll in a Medicare Part D plan when you were first eligible, you can do so during the general open enrollment.

Get Started

Visit the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov/find-a-plan. With the Medicare Plan Finder, you can compare plans and learn about the coverage, benefits, and estimated costs for each plan. For further information and questions, contact Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

Want to learn more about Medicare, or the different types of coverage options available? MSAA’s My Health Insurance Guide provides comprehensive, easy-to-follow information and resources for the MS community about Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans.

Need additional help?

Get personalized counseling and assistance in choosing coverage. State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provide free, in depth, one-on-one insurance counseling and assistance. Visit https://www.shiptacenter.org/ to locate the office nearest you.

Sources:
http://blog.medicare.gov/2015/07/27/medicare-and-medicaid-50-year-anniversary/
https://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/10050.pdf

While the 2014 year slowly comes to an end and individuals start to make their end of year plans, there are still two important dates to keep in mind in regards to open enrollment for health insurance. For those who are uninsured, or who possibly want to make some changes to a pre-existing Medicare plan, open enrollment allows individuals to make changes without penalty.

Medicare open enrollment ends Sunday, December 7th. Up until this date, changes can be made allowing an individual to switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan, or vice versa. A switch from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another Medicare Advantage Plan or to a plan that offers different drug coverage can be made as well. This is especially important to the MS community as medications can often change. If the doctor prescribes a medication that is not covered under a drug formulary, other drug coverage options can be explored that may be more suited to your prescription needs. To explore options, contact Medicare directly at (800) 633-4227 or visit www.medicare.gov.

For more complex issues with Medicare, the Medicare Rights Center offers a helpline to answer your questions about insurance choices as well as Medicare rights and protections. You can reach the Medicare Rights Center at 1-800-333-4114 or visit www.medicarerights.org.

The Open Enrollment Period for individuals eligible to enroll in the Marketplace for a Qualified Health Plan for coverage starting in 2015 is now through February 15, 2015. Individuals can enroll in a plan in the Marketplace by visiting www.healthcare.gov, or by calling (800) 318-2596. These plans are available to those who are uninsured, losing insurance, or who would like to make a change to their existing plan. If you purchased a plan in the previous Open Enrollment period and were not happy with that plan, now is the time to review other options and make a switch if available.

For more information regarding insurance, MSAA’s My Health Insurance Guide is aimed at assisting the MS community with understanding the many details surrounding today’s health insurance options.

Tag Archives: My Health Insurance Guide

Happy 50th Anniversary – Medicare Open Enrollment Begins

Insurance Enrollment and the MS Community

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