By David Sayen for U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services<\/p>\n
Medicare open enrollment period begins Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, 2015.<\/p>\n
If you have Original Medicare, meaning that you can choose any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare, you don\u2019t need to think about open enrollment.<\/p>\n
But if you have a Medicare Advantage (Part C) health plan, or a Medicare (Part D) prescription drug plan, you may want to see if there\u2019s a new plan on the market that would be a better match for you, at a lower price.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re enrolled in a plan already and you\u2019re happy with it, you don\u2019t need to do anything. But Medicare health and drug plans \u2014 which are run by private insurers under contract to Medicare \u2014 can change from year to year. A plan can raise its monthly premium or drop a medicine that you need.<\/p>\n
Make sure your plan still is a good fit for you in terms of cost, coverage, and quality. If it isn\u2019t, look for another plan.<\/p>\n
During open enrollment, you can sign up for a Medicare Advantage health plan or Part D prescription drug plan, or switch from one plan to another. Your new coverage will take effect Jan. 1, 2016.<\/p>\n
There are several ways to shop for a new plan.<\/p>\n
One is the \u201cMedicare & You\u201d handbook, which is mailed each fall to every Medicare household in the country. This booklet lists all the Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans that are available where you live, along with basic information such as premiums, deductibles, and contact information.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also the Medicare Plan Finder at the www.Medicare.gov website. Look for a green button that says, \u201cFind health & drug plans.\u201d By clicking on that and plugging in your zip code, you\u2019ll be able to see all of the Medicare Advantage and Part D plans available in your area. You can compare them based on benefits, premiums, co-pays, and estimated out-of-pocket costs. Contact information for the plans is listed.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t have access to a computer, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Customer service representatives can help with questions about Medicare health and drug plans.<\/p>\n
Another very helpful resource is California\u2019s Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, or HICAP. California HICAP is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides free, personalized counseling to people with Medicare. You can make an appointment to speak with a HICAP counselor either in-person or over the phone. To contact HICAP, call 800-434-0222.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan as of Jan. 1, 2016, but you\u2019re not satisfied with it, you have a 45-day window to disenroll. Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 14, 2016, you can drop your plan and return to Original Medicare. You can also sign up for a Part D drug plan during that time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By David Sayen for U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Medicare open enrollment period begins Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, 2015. If you have Original Medicare, meaning that you can choose any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare, you don\u2019t need to think about open enrollment. But if you have a Medicare […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1112,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"amp_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n