Many people still prefer to telephone their chosen Medicare plan and
ask for printed plan information that usually includes a printed enrollment
application. If you choose to request printed plan materials, be sure to make your request early in October, so that you have adequate time to review the
printed Medicare plan information and then mail in the
completed application before the December 7th annual Open Enrollment
Period (AEP) deadline.
Although the Medicare Part D application is only few pages long, some people find that applying for Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage is not easy and there are some common mistakes that can keep you from receiving your Part D coverage.
To learn more, here are a few error-avoiding tips when completing a printed Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan enrollment form: "
Seven tips for successfully submitting your Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan enrollment form"
Looking for a quicker Medicare plan enrollment option?
Everyone has a different enrollment preference and no matter how you
enroll in a Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan, your cost and
coverage are the same. Here are a few popular Medicare plan enrollment
alternatives:
- Enroll through a local insurance agent who represents your desired Medicare Part D plan or Medicare Advantage plan.
Your local insurance agent is specifically trained to represent certain
Medicare plans and should be able to provide answers to many of your
coverage questions, provide you with printed plan materials, and help
you complete the enrollment application. Your local insurance agent
should also be available throughout the plan year to help answer
questions and explain any annual plan changes.
- Enroll Online.
You can enroll online through the Medicare.gov Plan Finder website (https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare) or directly on the Medicare plan's website (such as https://www.aetnamedicare.com).
When you enroll online, you should be provided a confirmation code at
the end of the enrollment process - record this confirmation code as
proof of the successful enrollment.
- Call a Medicare representative or call a Medicare plan's Member Services department.
If you have chosen your Medicare plan, you can simply telephone the company's enrollment telephone number or their Member Services department who can transfer you to enrollment where you can enroll directly over the telephone. If you are not sure which Medicare plan to choose, then you might want to call a Medicare representative at 1-800-MEDICARE for an unbiased overview of all your Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plan options.
Still need an overview of how to choose a Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan?
There are a number of different ways to choose a Medicare plan (such as pure economics, plan reputation, and/or selection of healthcare providers) -- you can
read more about choosing a Medicare plan in our enrollment assistant section.