Fall Open Enrollment for Medicare is October 15 – December 7, 2018

It is time for the annual Medicare enrollment period called Open Enrollment. The dates for enrollment are October 15 - December 7. The opportunity to change insurance options exists during this time. Medicare.gov is the official government website and the best place to go to find out about different options.

People generally enroll in Medicare at age 65 or when they retire. If you are already enrolled in Medicare, and are happy with your current plan, you don't need to do anything during Open Enrollment. You should be notified in the mail if your plan is changing so be sure that your mailing address is up to date. It can be a good idea to call about your plan, just to confirm that everything is as you expect for the upcoming year. Benefits and premiums can change so even if you plan on sticking with your current option, it is a good idea to check on it to be sure that nothing is changing.

If you do change plans, there are restrictions and time limits on when you can make those changes. Be sure the plan you choose best fits your needs. In one case, you have until the end of March to make a change. With another part of the Medicare program, you can make changes during Fall enrollment only. Be positive you know your enrollment time limits in relation to your plan.

Some possibilities that exist are enrolling initially, switching from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, switching Medicare Advantage plans, or enrolling in a prescription drug plan.

New Medicare cards are in the process of being mailed out. These cards do not have social security numbers on them and are being used to combat identity fraud. Your old card will work until your new one is issued.

This timely report is offered as a reminder by CheapInsuranceReview. If you do plan on enrolling, call or go to the Medicare website in a timely manner as it is not a good idea to wait until the last minute and possibly miss the enrollment dates.