Medicare and Health Insurance Annual Enrollment

The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is from October 15 through December 7, 2021.

Medicare Beneficiaries who have a Part D Drug plan or a Medicare Advantage plan should have received their ‘Annual Notice of Change’ by now. Don’t toss this aside or put it off until later - here is why it is important to review:

• Your Part D drug plan may no longer be available and you may be automatically switched to a plan that is not in your best interest.
• Drug plans may change the pharmacies in their network.
• Medicare Advantage plans may no longer include your Doctors and Specialists in their network.
• Your medications may have changed or may not be covered with your plan for 2022 so you may be better off with a different plan.

You may also want to consider health changes that took place in 2021 and think ahead about health conditions that may need addressing in 2022. Will another Medicare plan offer better options? It is important to see if you can reduce the cost by choosing another plan.

Even if you have not experienced a change or are happy with your current plan, it’s always a good idea to see what’s new and exciting with the different Medicare Plans. Yes, there are some great extra benefits you can receive from Medicare Advantage plans such as Vision and Dental benefits that original Medicare does not cover. Some plans even offer meals and health club benefits. While valuable, the terms and provisions can vary from one plan to another. You can get more information at Medicare.gov or ask for a free consultation with a local Medicare Agent.

The window of opportunity to make a change for Medicare Insurance is October 15, 2021, through December 7, 2021. Your new plan will be effective January 1, 2022.

Health Insurance Open Enrollment Period is November 1, 2021 through January 15, 2022.

It has been a very interesting year for Individuals and Families obtaining health Insurance, or what some may refer to as Obamacare. In March 2021, President Biden enacted the American Rescue Plan. One of the impacts of this Act was to give many people additional help to pay for their Health Insurance. As always, it is a good idea to review your current plan for the following reasons:

• It may not be available next year and you may be automatically enrolled in a different plan. 
• You’ll want to check coverage for your prescriptions, doctor visits, and the providers who accept the plan.
• If you have received a tax credit based upon your income, you will need to re-apply at Healthcare.gov also known as the Marketplace. 
• It is important to file your tax return as future tax credits are given based upon verifying income from tax returns.
• There is never a need to pay a fee for a consultation. Local help can be found from a listing of certified agents at healthcare.gov.
• There may be more plans than ever to choose from for 2022 and many with very affordable rates.

The window of opportunity to make a change for Health Insurance is November 1, 2021 through December 15, 2021, for a new plan that will be effective January 1, 2022. Apply from December 16, 2021, through January 15, 2022 for a plan effective February 1, 2022.

Please keep in mind that information is current as of the preparation of this article. Please check with Healthcare.gov, Medicare.gov or ask for a free consultation with an Insurance Agent to assist you with enrollment or deadlines.