Medicare Open Enrollment Runs October 15 - December 7, 2016

AARP strongly encourages people who have Medicare to review their options each year during Medicare’s open enrollment period and choose the plan or plans that best fit their needs.

• Medicare Open Enrollment begins on October 15 and ends on December 7. During this time, if you want, you can switch from traditional Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or vice versa, from one Part D drug plan to another, or from one Medicare Advantage plan to another. Any changes you make will take effect January 1, 2017.
• Your health needs can change and so can your plan. Make sure your current Medicare coverage still works for you. Review all your Medicare plan options at www.Medicare.gov/find-a-plan or call Medicare at 800-633-4227. Alternatively, a certified counselor from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) can help you find the plan that best meets your needs – free of sales pressure and free of charge.  For contact information, go to www.shiptacenter.org or call 877-839-2675. 
• When selecting a plan, you should consider each plan’s 4 C’s:
  • COSTS, including the monthly premium, the annual deductible and cost-sharing;
  • COVERAGE for the doctors and pharmacies included in the plan and the prescription drugs and other services you need;
  • CONVENIENCE of the doctors and pharmacies in your plan, is there a mail order option, can you get to the doctor easily; and
  • CUSTOMER SERVICE, or the quality ratings, which are provided for most Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans. These ratings are based on the quality of care and customer service each plan provides and can be found at Medicare.gov/quality-care-finder.
• AARP has extensive educational materials and resources to help Medicare beneficiaries and their families navigate the many choices available to them and make informed decisions, including our Medicare Starter Kit http://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/medicare-starter-kit; a dedicated section of our website ( http://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/); and AARP’s book “Medicare For Dummies” (2nd edition) by Patricia Barry.
• If you are currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage or Part D drug plan, you should carefully read its "Annual Notice of Change" (which arrives by mail in September) to review any changes to your current plan’s costs and coverage and compare them with other plans available to you during open enrollment.  
• Even if you already chose a plan, if you do not feel it fits your needs for any reason, you are able to choose another plan, so long as the process is complete by December 7th, the end of Medicare open enrollment. Signing up with a new plan automatically cancels coverage under the old one.
• But if you’re happy with the plan you have now, you need do nothing.  Your current plan will continue into next year, although its coverage and costs may be different from this year’s.