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What if I am already enrolled on a Medicare Advantage Plan and suddenly I had a change of heart, can I still make changes?

There is a three-month window that started January 01 in which beneficiaries can change their coverage either by switching to another Medicare Advantage Plan, dropping it or go back to the basic Medicare plan. However, you must be aware that there are potential snags involved in the move. In other words, you must do your diligence and study your options and choices because another mistake on your choices and you will be stuck with it for the rest of the year. 


The current three-month opportunity started just a few weeks after the close of Medicare’s annual fall open enrollment when a variety of options were available for those who wanted to make changes to their coverage. For this current period, however, there are restrictions. 


1. For starters, you can only switch once. This means that once you move to a different Advantage Plan or drop it for basic Medicare, the change is truly locked in for the rest of 2020 unless you meet an exclusion that qualifies you for a special enrollment period.

2. Additionally, it does not allow you to switch from one stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan to another. If you pick a Part D plan in the fall open enrollment period based on faulty or misleading information, you can call 1-800-Medicare at any point during the year to see if your situation would allow you to make a change.

3. If you were to drop an Advantage Plan in favor of basic Medicare, technically your Part D Prescription drug coverage will also end. That means you need to enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan. This matters, because if you go 63 days without acceptable drug coverage, you could face a lifelong penalty that is in addition to your premiums.

4. Also, if you switch back to original Medicare and want to get a supplemental policy (also called Medigap), you may not get guaranteed coverage. It will depend on various factors which include where you live and exactly how long you’ve had your Advantage Plan. These policies either fully or partially cover cost-sharing of some aspects of parts A and B, including deductibles, copays, and coinsurance.



If you’ll be subject to a health check, be sure to apply for the supplement before you drop your Advantage Plan. The worst-case scenario is that you go back to original Medicare and then no company takes you for Medigap
. Thus the order of events is really important.

If you want to switch to a different Advantage Plan, remember to make sure your doctors and other providers are in-network. And, assuming the plan includes Part D prescription drug coverage, be sure that any medications you take are covered.





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