Confused About Medicare Open Enrollment?

Annual Open Enrollment runs from October 15th to December 7th. This is the time to review your existing coverage. Does the same plan still meet your existing health needs? Have your prescriptions changed? You have two primary choices:

 

Medicare Advantage

  • Provider restrictions
  • Specialist referrals required
  • Copays and deductibles
  • Lower cost
  • Renews on January 1st

Medicare Supplement

  • No provider restrictions
  • No referrals required
  • No copays, no deductibles
  • Higher cost
  • Renews on anniversary date
 

 

Medicare Prescription Plans (Part D)

You'll need a complete list (and dosages) of your prescriptions to help you determine which of the many plans best fit your particular situation.

Your prescriptions may play a critical role in determing which Medicare plan you choose. Medicare Advantage includes prescription coverage. Medicare Supplement does not which means you'll most likely need to have a Part D prescription plan. If you have expensive prescriptions, your prescriptions may be the determing influence on which Medicare plan you choose. Medicare Advantage may then make the most sense for you, even with its present gap in prescription coverage, referred to as the "donut hole." This gap is scheduled to disappear in 2020.