During these last few hours of the 2015 Open Enrollment Period, you can join, change, or drop your Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan coverage.
You can also still choose another 2015 Medicare plan even if you have already enrolled in a 2015 Medicare plan earlier in this Open Enrollment Period.
After December 7th, most people will only have a limited opportunity to change their 2015 Medicare plan coverage before next year’s 2016 Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plan Open Enrollment Period. You can
click here to see more information on Special Enrollment Periods.
If you wish to get an overview of all 2015 Medicare Part D plans or Medicare Advantage plans that are available in your area, you can use our
PDP-Finder or
MA-Finder tools. To get you started, here is a PDP-Finder example comparing all Medicare Part D Plans available in Illinois (you can always change the state to whatever you desire):
PDP-Finder.com/IL
Need someone to speak with about your Medicare plan options?
If you find yourself overwhelmed with all the 2015 Medicare plan information, you can always telephone Medicare at 1-800-633-4227, select the prescription drug option, and choose to speak with a Medicare representative. Ask the representative to help you evaluate your 2015 Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plan options.
Should you decide to change Medicare plans, a Medicare representative can also enroll you in any Medicare Advantage plan or Medicare Prescription Drug plan directly over the telephone. The enrollment process only takes a few minutes and includes an enrollment confirmation number.
Staying with the same Medicare plan into 2015?
If you wish to stay in your current Medicare plan, you do not need to do anything during the 2015 Open Enrollment Period and you will be automatically re-enrolled into your existing Medicare plan for another year, along with any changes that your current 2014 Medicare plan may have made for 2015. Again, remember that your 2014 Medicare plan probably will have some changes in 2015 – so please be sure that you understand these changes – and be sure your Medicare plan is still being offered in 2015.
What happens if your 2014 Medicare plan is not offered in 2015?
If your Medicare plan is non-renewing or being discontinued in 2015 (not consolidated or merged into another plan),
and you do not join another Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan during the Open Enrollment Period, you could be without prescription coverage for all of 2014. However, since your plan is being discontinued, you will be granted a
Special Enrollment Period from December 8 through February 28 during which you can join a 2015 Medicare Part D plan or Medicare Advantage plan. Remember, your Medicare plan coverage begins on the first day of the month following your enrollment.
So what is next on the calendar?
The 2015 Medicare Advantage plan Disenrollment Period (or MADP) begins on January 1, 2015 and continues through February 14th. During the MADP, you can drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to original Medicare, plus you will be able to join a stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.
2016 Medicare Part D Reminder Service: Would you like us to update you as information becomes available on the 2016 Medicare Part D program and plans? If you have not already done so, please
click here to sign-up for our free email 2016 Reminder Service. As always, your email information will not be shared with any third parties.