A recent survey shows that about two-thirds of seniors are unaware that the Medicare enrollment period has been moved.  This could end up costing them if the information doesn’t get to them in time.  The Medicare enrollment period opens October 15th instead of November.  If beneficiaries do not enroll by December 7th, they will have to wait until next year to get the coverage they want.  PlanPrescriber conducted the survey to help seniors sort through all of the changes that may seriously affect them.

The date was changed by the Affordable Care Act in an effort to help seniors but it might do just the opposite.  It’s intended to solve the confusion that has occurred every year when eligible individuals waited until the end of December to switch plans and when they would go to pharmacies on January 1, they’d have no ID card.  But in order for it to work, seniors must get the new deadline and mark it on their calendars.

According to the article “Changes Take Seniors By Surprise” by Brittany Davis on Kaiser Health News, the survey results show that seniors with higher incomes are more likely to be aware of the changes and more likely to have reviewed their coverage options from last year.  The rules to switch plans smoothly have changed as well for Medicare Advantage plans, where private insurers sell complete packages to provide hospital care, doctor care, and prescription drugs.  This is something else seniors need to educate themselves on.  It can be very overwhelming, so meeting with an expert is a good idea to be sure you have all of the accurate information to make the best decision on your Medicare needs.

Written by Sam Tabes

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