Missed Medicare Open Enrollment? Here's What You Can Do
Most Americans enroll for Medicare at their earliest opportunity, because the program provides affordable and extensive coverage for a wide array of healthcare costs. After you've enrolled in Medicare, you have the option each year to make changes to your coverage during the Medicare open enrollment period. That period is less than eight weeks long, however, and it's easy for people to miss it in the year-end bustle of the holidays. If you're one of the many Medicare enrollees who missed open enrollment, which ended on Dec. 7, there are some options available to you if you still want to make changes to your coverage.
If you're currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan and are looking to switch to original Medicare, you'll have another opportunity to do so in the near future. The Medicare program offers what it calls the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period each year, which starts on Jan. 1 and ends on Feb. 14.
During the period, you're allowed to move from a Medicare Advantage plan to regular Medicare coverage. When you do so, you can also enroll in a Part D prescription drug program, since many Medicare Advantage offerings integrate prescription drug coverage into their plans.
Source: Fool.com
