Seniors Still Have Chance to Change Their Medicare
Health Coverage for 2009
Enrollment period through March 31 allows change in
health coverage but you cannot add or drop drug plan
Feb.
16, 2009 Many senior citizens think they are now locked into their
current Medicare health coverage for 2009, but, there is actually there
is still time to make a change, according to the Medicare Interactive
newsletter.
Most people with Medicare have one last chance to
change their Medicare health coverage before they are locked into their
plans for the rest of the calendar year.
During the Open Enrollment Period, which began
January 1 and lasts through March 31, you can change your choice of
Medicare health coverage once, but you cannot choose to add or drop the
Medicare drug benefit (Part D).
Your new coverage will start the first of the month
after you make your selection.
For example, if you are in a Medicare private
health plan (such as a HMO, PPO or Private-Fee-for-Service Plan) with
drug coverage, you can change to Original Medicare - with a stand-alone
drug plan, since you must continue to have drug coverage - or another
Medicare private health plan with drug coverage.
You cannot switch to a private health plan without
drug coverage.
If you have Original Medicare and have a
stand-alone drug plan, you cannot use this period to switch to another
stand-alone drug plan. This would be considered as only a drug coverage
changenot a health plan change.
You can however, change to a Medicare private
health plan with drug coverage.
Under certain circumstances, you may be eligible
for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to change health or drug plans.
You qualify for an SEP if, for example, you move out of your plans
service area, or if youve been misled into enrolling into a private
Medicare health or drug plan.
But you do not have the right to switch plans if
your doctor leaves the plans network in the middle of the year, or if
your plan decides to raise the price of a drug you take. Providers can
drop out of your plan at any time, but you can only change at certain
times of year.
Another thing to keep in mind is your right to
purchase a Medigap policy.
A Medigap policy is supplemental insurance for
which you pay a monthly premium. It fills gaps in Original Medicare. It
allows you to keep the flexibility of Original Medicare - which lets you
see any doctor that takes Medicare without having to get permission
first - and keeps costs predictable.
However, you can only buy Medigaps at certain times
and have the most choice when you first become eligible for Medicare if
you are 65 or older (there is no similar protection under federal law
for people under 65 but some states offer additional safeguards).
If you are enrolled in a Medicare private health
plan for longer than 12 months, you may be giving up - for life - your
right to purchase a Medigap policy or to purchase one without medical
underwriting (a premium that is higher if you have health problems).
If you are over 65, had the right to buy a Medigap
policy to supplement Original Medicare but chose to enroll in a Medicare
private health plan instead, or if you dropped a Medigap policy to join
a Medicare private health plan, you have the right to purchase a Medigap
policy only if you disenroll from the Medicare private health plan
within 12 months.
Some insurance companies may be willing to sell you
a Medigap policy after that but there is no guarantee that you will be
able to get one unless you live in a state that offers more protection
than the federal government requires.
Lets say, for example that you had Original
Medicare with a Medigap plan in 2007. You then switched to a Medicare
private health plan beginning in January 2008. Now, during the Open
Enrollment Period, you want to go back to Original Medicare with a
Medigap plan. However, since more than 12 months have passed since you
enrolled in the Medicare private health plan, there is no guarantee that
you will be able to buy a Medigap policy again unless your state has
additional protections.
To learn more about the Open Enrollment Period,
Special Enrollment Periods and when you have the right to buy a Medigap
plan, log on to Medicare Interactive Counselor at
www.medicareinteractive.org. Medicare Interactive Counselor is a
resource provided by the Medicare Rights Center, the largest independent
source of health care information and assistance in the United States
for people with Medicare.
Keep up with the latest news for senior citizens, baby
boomers
Feb.
16, 2009 Many senior citizens think they are now locked into their
current Medicare health coverage for 2009, but, there is actually there
is still time to make a change, according to the Medicare Interactive
newsletter.
To learn more about the Open Enrollment Period,
Special Enrollment Periods and when you have the right to buy a Medigap
plan, log on to Medicare Interactive Counselor at
