Timing
When can I change my Medicare plan?
Medicare isn't something you can change any day you like. There are specific windows, each with its own rules about what you're allowed to do, and one trap that catches people years after they first enroll.
Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 to December 7
- This is the big one, and it comes every year. During these weeks you can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan, and join, switch, or drop a Part D drug plan. Changes take effect January 1.
- This is when you should be reviewing, every single year, even if you're happy. Plans change their drug lists, networks, copays, and coverage annually. The plan that was ideal last year may not be this year, and the only notice you get is a document most people never read.
Special Enrollment Periods: whenever life changes
- Certain events open a personal window outside the normal calendar. The common ones: moving to a new county or state, losing employer or union coverage, moving into or out of a nursing facility, qualifying for Medicaid or Extra Help, and your plan leaving your area.
- Each has its own deadline, usually measured in a couple of months from the event. If something on that list has happened to you, don't wait for October.
The one-way door most people aren't warned about
- Switching from Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement to Medicare Advantage is easy. Going the other direction often is not.
- Outside your initial six-month Medigap window, and outside California's annual birthday rule for existing Medicare Supplement holders, Medicare Supplement companies can ask health questions and decline you. So someone who chooses Medicare Advantage at 65, develops a health condition at 72, and then wants the freedom of a Medicare Supplement may find they can't qualify.
- This isn't a reason to avoid Medicare Advantage, which is the right fit for a great many people. It's a reason to understand what you're choosing the first time, rather than assuming you can always undo it.
A simple habit: put October 15 on your calendar every year, the way you'd schedule an annual physical. Thirty minutes of review each fall is what keeps a good plan from quietly becoming the wrong one.
New to Medicare generally? Start with the plain-English guide to how Medicare works. Want to talk about your own situation? A consultation is free and there's no obligation.
Let's talk
Questions about your own situation?
Call or text Justin
(916) 343-8517Monday – Friday, 9am – 6pm
Evenings and weekends by appointment
When we talk, have handy:
- Your red, white, and blue Medicare card (if you have one)
- A list of your doctors and any specialists you see
- A list of your prescription medications and dosages
- Your current plan information, if you're already enrolled
Serving Placer, Sacramento, Nevada & Yuba counties