Dear AMAC,
I know the annual enrollment period has ended, but I just found out my doctor is no longer in network for my current plan and my drug copays have become too expensive. I’m just not happy with my Advantage plan and I fear that I will have to keep this for another year. Do I have any way out or am I stuck?
-Pamela (Salt Lake City, UT)
Hello Pamela,
I’m glad I came across your question. Since Medicare rules can be confusing, Medicare beneficiaries are often unaware of all their options. I know that you feel trapped in your Medicare Advantage Plan, but the good news is that you do have an opportunity to change it!
The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, or MA OEP, is happening right now. You may not have heard about it because there are strict Medicare regulations prohibiting agents from proactively offering this enrollment period to you. This means that unless you let your agent know you are unhappy with your plan, they may not be able to help you change it.
The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs from January 1st to March 31st of each year (not to be confused with the Annual Enrollment Period that happens each fall).
There are a few important points to remember about the MA OEP:
- This is an enrollment period only available to those who ALREADY have a Medicare Advantage Plan (regardless of whether it includes drug coverage).
- During this time, if a Medicare Advantage enrollee is dissatisfied with their plan, they can make a 1-time change to their coverage.
What kind of changes can be made during the MA OEP?
- You can enroll into a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage)
- You can drop your Medicare Advantage plan completely and go back to Original Medicare.
- You can enroll into a Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plan (PDP)
If you choose to make a change during this time, your new plan selection will begin on the 1st of the following month. Keep in mind that making a change during the MA OEP does NOT guarantee acceptance into a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan.
Thank you for taking the time to write us, Pamela. If you would like further assistance from one of our licensed Medicare Advisors, please give us a call at 855-611-4856.
-Your Medicare Advisor
For help with Medicare plans – or any questions you may have about Medicare – contact AMAC’s Medicare Advisory Service at 1-855-611-4856 or request a quote below!
I very foolishly joined an advantage plan (Humana) and was hit hard 3 times in the 1st 10 days by 3 costly appointments that were not covered tho I asked specifically about these doctors and a very expensive ($600) prescription. I tried to cancel and was told I was under contract and could not cancel. I had never signed a contract and was not about to. I called Medicare, explained everything and Medicare overroad the Advantage plan! I will never consider another one. One rotten apple spoils the whole buschel. I was very thankful Medicare took care of the problem for me. 30 days on Humana Advantage cured me! But I have friends and family who use other Advantage plans who have had all kinds of problems. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
no one and I mean no one tells us about the benefits of Supplemental. Remember that word.
Supplemental which is referred to here by some as medigap. Advantage gets 95 % of the attention because its free….free…free BUT pays only 80% of your doctors surgery bill while Supplemental
pays 100%. Supplemental charges a monthly fee. Lets be clear about that but it can save you
tens of thousands of dollars when you have surgery. ASK…..ASK about it or no one will tell you
What I have noticed with original Medicare, if you have any medical condition and you want to switch carriers it is almost impossible to change, They put you thru a big questionnaire and then the new company does a review and if you have major health problems you will never switch carriers . We were turned down and second year we didn’t even try to switch knowing it would only get turned down. If you change to an advantage plan you will never go back to original Medicare if you have major health conditions. I laugh at the ads that say you can switch plans anytime! Not if you have medical problems which then pushes up the price of your insurance.
I never signed up due to limited MD choices if warranted or your MD may NOT take
Otherwise sounds great
I want to know how doctors can refuse the normal Medicare health care program. I’m new to FL, have called at least 5 doctors and ALL of them said they don’t accept Medicare patients but do accept Medicare advantage plans. I thought Medicare was supposed to be the premium US health care program and doctors “refuse” those people? How can they do that?
My question is how do we stop this criminal treasonous fool from destroying our country.
I guess that no one has paid attention that Biden is PUSHING TO CANCEL MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS after stating in his SOTU speech that he wouldn’t do this!! The money he will save doing this will then go to the ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS and Foreign Countries like China and other nations not part of NATO.