NUTRITION & FITNESS
Medicare OPEN ENROLLMENT
By Ava King
It ’ s that time of year again when seniors are given the opportunity to make changes to various aspect of insurance coverage . The annual Medicare Open Enrollment or Annual Enrollment Period ( AEP ) period begins Oct . 15 and continues through Dec . 7 . And just like last year , the Cullman County Commission on Aging will be counseling in-person by appointment only . Clients may prefer counseling to take place via mail-in forms . If corresponding via mail-in forms , the forms must be received in the office no later than Monday Nov . 22 . For your convenience , we have provided a drop box at the front entrance of our office . For more information regarding these options , to request forms or to schedule in-person appointments please call COA at 256-734-1241 .
Also note that for Medicare Part D counseling , you may contact Medicare at 1-800-Medicare ( 633-4227 ) or online at medicare . gov . You may also contact the State Health Insurance Program ( SHIP ) at 1-800-243-5463 or NARCOG at 1-256-355-4515 . Also , your local pharmacy may be able to help you with your Medicare Part D comparisons .
Now , let ’ s take a more in-depth look , step by step , at the process :
When is Medicare Open Enrollment ? The Medicare Annual Open Enrollment ( AEP ) period begins October 15 and ends December 7 . During this annual window , Medicare Plan Enrollees can reevaluate their plan . Whether it is Original Medicare with supplemental drug coverage or Medicare Advantage , enrollees can make changes or purchase new policies .
What Changes Can I Make During Medicare Annual Enrollment Period ( AEP )? During AEP , there are a variety of changes you can make to your Medicare plan , such as : Switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage ( as long as you are enrolled in Part A and Part B ). Switch from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another . Switch from one Medicare Part D plan to another . Enroll in Medicare Part D , if you did not enroll when you were first eligible . Drop your Medicare Part D policy all together .
What is Medicare Part D ? Medicare Part D is a program administered through various private insurance companies . These companies offer retail prescription drug coverage to Medicare beneficiaries . Part D is simply insurance for your medication needs . Beneficiaries pay a monthly premium to an insurance carrier and in return use the carrier ’ s network of pharmacies to purchase your medications . Instead of paying full price , you pay a copay or percentage of the medication ’ s cost . The first opportunity to enroll in Medicare Part
D is when you ’ re initially eligible for Medicare ( during the seven-month period beginning three months before your 65th birthday , the month of your 65th birthday , or three months after your 65th birthday ).
What If I Don ’ t Want To Make Changes ? If you are already enrolled into a Medicare Part D Plan or Medicare Advantage Plan and you are satisfied with it , then you do not have to do anything during Open Enrollment , assuming your current plan will still be available . If for any reason your current plan is being discontinued for the 2022 year , you will receive a notification letter in the mail from your Medicare Part-D Plan .
What are The Stages of Medicare Part D ? Annual Deductible For the 2022 , the Medicare Part D deductible is $ 480 .( increased by $ 35 from 2021 ) Depending on the Part D plan that you choose , the deductible could be waived entirely , you could be partially responsible or fully responsible for it . You will be responsible for paying the network discounted price for your medications until you have met the deductible . Then , you will enter the initial coverage stage .
Initial Coverage During the initial coverage stage , you will only pay a copay for your medications . Each drug plan separates its medications into tiers , and each tier has a copay amount . The insurance
12 | WINTER 2021 CULLMAN COUNTY SENIOR MAGAZINE