The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period presents you with opportunities to switch, drop, or join different types of plans. This is part of what makes Medicare so special – you’re never stuck to any particular policy. It’s important to consider new options as your needs and circumstances change.

Know The Dates

The Annual Enrollment Period lasts a little under two months. This takes place between October 15 and December 7. If you miss out, you will have to wait until the next year before you can make any policy adjustments.

Assess Your Current Coverage

If you have Original Medicare, you’ll receive the Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) in the mail once every three months. This will show the services you’ve gotten, how much Medicare has contributed, and how much you may pay your provider out-of-pocket.

If you have Medicare Advantage, you will receive two documents – the Evidence of Coverage (arrives by October 15) and Annual Notice of Change (comes in the mail by September 30). The Evidence of coverage is much like the MSN, as it shows you all that your plan covered for you. The Annual Notice of Change makes you aware of changes in your plan’s costs and coverage that will be effective the following year.

These documents give you a chance to consider what would have been different had you gone with a different Medicare policy, and what the viable alternatives may be going forward.

Consider Current and Future Medical Needs

Because this is the point where you can switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, you may look toward the one that is more specialized.

Medicare Advantage may be right for you in instances where:

• You’d like to have inpatient, outpatient, and drug coverage in one policy
• You want dental, vision, and hearing coverage without having to enroll in another insurance plan
• You only see a select few healthcare professionals and would like to get lower rates
• You’re about to drop or lose the health plan you’re currently on
• Or you may have lost your drug coverage and would like to switch to another

As you reflect on what you’d like to have covered, what you’d like to save more on, and how you can make adjustments, you are more prepared than you realize.

Just as you’re not forced to stay with the policy you initially signed up for, you’re not forced to switch, either. You may decide that what you have perfectly suits your needs. In this case, this preparation is a way to affirm that you have made the best choice.

Begin Preparing For Annual Enrollment With Us!

Eldridge Agency is here to help you prepare for Annual Enrollment so that you can enroll in the best possible policy going into the next year. This is a time to reflect and consider all possibilities. But this is not a burden that you have to have on your shoulders. We will work through this with you to save you time and money. We value all of your needs because we put you first!