Part D Plan Enrollment Information For Seniors
Medicare Drug Plan Enrollment – Key Dates & Tips
Medicare Drug Plan Enrollment: Medicare Part D helps cover the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries. To be eligible for Part D coverage, you must first enroll in Medicare Parts A, B or both. If you are covered by Medicare Part C (Advantage plan) it’s most likely that the plan includes prescription drug coverage.
Here are the important things to know about Medicare Part D.
- There are key enrollment periods to benefit consumers.
- Plan options are based on where you live.
- You can have just a few choices, or 20 or more to compare.
- Prices for Plan D coverage can vary significantly.
- Coverage for various drugs can vary from plan to plan.
- It is vital to compare coverage for the drugs you currently take.
- You can change coverage yearly and it’s important to review.
- Free online systems today make it easy to compare.
Find Best Part D Plan Currently Available
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Medicare Part D plans change and it is your job to find the best plan coverage. The best plan for you may not be the best plan for your spouse, your neighbor or friend. It’s really dependent on what drugs (if any) you take.
Plans can change yearly. The plan can change what drugs they cover and how much you’ll pay.
A Part D plan can also change the premium you’ll pay. The deductible amount can vary as well, all important factors.
A local Medicare insurance agent may help you compare. Or, you can use an online tool that looks at 4,700 different plans available nationally.
Simply enter your Zip Code to start. Entering the drugs you take will give you the best information. The system is completely private. No personal information is entered to see the results.
Click the link to access the Medicare Part D Drug Plan Comparison Tool.
Medicare Drug Plan Enrollment Periods
There are three enrollment periods you should know about.
- Part D Initial Enrollment Period
- Annual Enrollment Period
- Special Enrollment Period
The Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is your first opportunity to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan. The IEP begins on the first day of the month, three months before your 65th birthday. It ends on the last day of the month, three months later. You first must enroll in Medicare Parts A, B or both.
If you do not enroll in Part D during the Initial Enrollment Period you may face a late enrollment penalty. To avoid this, have creditable drug coverage in place (such as through an employer plan). Experts recommend that you check with your plan administrator or your local Social Security Administration to confirm that the coverage you have is ‘creditable’.
The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) happens every year between October 15 to December 7. This is your chance to enroll in a prescription drug plan for the following year. AEP is the key time of the year to change your prescription drug plan in order to get better coverage or lower costs for the next year.
During AEP, you can make multiple changes (in case you sign-up for a new plan and then find a better one). The last change you make before the AEP deadline will go into effect on January 1.
There are also Special Enrollment Periods that provide you with the opportunity to change your current Part D coverage. Here are some reasons that can qualify for you to change plans. You move / change where you live. Or, you become eligible for new coverage outside of Medicare. There are changes to your current plan’s contract with Medicare. Moving is the key reason. Most of the others are very rare but worth knowing about.
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