-- Boomer Benefits and Danielle Roberts are pleased to announce the return of the winter Medicare Open Enrollment Period. This window, which will run from January 1st to March 31st each year, will allow Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan to make one change. They can disenroll from their current Medicare Advantage and choose a different Advantage plan, or they can return to Original Medicare and add a standalone Part D drug plan.
Co-founder Roberts explained that this election period is designed for individuals who join Advantage plans without really understanding how they work. “Many beneficiaries sign up for Medicare Advantage plans online without knowing that the plans have networks of doctors and hospitals or that they may have drug formularies that don’t include an important medication,” said Roberts. “Unfortunately, these plans have lock-in periods and beneficiaries may not realize that their primary care doctor or specialist isn’t in the network until it’s too late.”
In recent years beneficiaries in this situation had a shorter 6-week window where they could only return to Original Medicare. However, some Medicare beneficiaries want the extra coverage provided by an Advantage plan, it’s just that they chose the wrong plan for them. The new enrollment period will give them the option of making a one-time switch to a plan that better suits them.
This same election period existed years ago and then was taken away. Lobbyists have been pushing for the return of this Open Enrollment Period for several years, presenting Congress with numerous examples of how this election period truly benefits Medicare beneficiaries. The measure was reimplemented under the Bipartisan Budget Act.
Roberts believes the election period will help a great many seniors from being stuck with a plan mistake. She forewarned, however, that just because you can return to Original Medicare, doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed to buy a Medigap plan. “Beneficiaries who want to leave their Advantage plan and return to Medicare while also adding on a Medigap plan need to know that applying for a new Medigap plan may require them to answer health questions,” said Roberts. “There are only limited circumstances where the right to buy the Medigap plan without health questions applies,” she said. She encouraged beneficiaries to consult a Medicare insurance expert for guidance before making the switch.
Contact Info:
Name: Danielle K Roberts
Email: Send Email
Organization: Boomer Benefits
Address: 5650 N Riverside Dr. #200, Fort Worth, TX 76137
Phone: (855)732-9055
Website: https://boomerbenefits.com/
Release ID: 452314
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