Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Essential Facts:

Your Situation

What can be done?

When?

The person turns 65 and he or she is newly eligible

Enroll in Medicare prescription plan and/or Medicare advantage plan

The person can enroll in 7 months period starting from 3 months prior to turning 65, the month in which the person turns 65, and 3 months after that.

The person is newly eligible due to disability although he or she is under 65

Enroll in Medicare prescription drug plan and/or Medicare advantage plan. The Medicare coverage starts 24 months after getting RRB disability benefits or social security.

21 months after RRB benefits or social security starts. The enrollment period continues till 27th month after RRB benefits or social security starts.

The person is eligible for Medicare due to disability and he or she turns 65

• Enroll in Medicare prescription plan and/or Medicare advantage.
• Switch from your Medicare prescription plan to some other plan.
• Sign out completely from Medicare prescription drug plan or Medicare advantage.

The enrollment period is same as it is for new eligible persons as they turn 65. People who signed up for prescription drug plan during enrollment period can opt out of the plan within the next twelve months and return back to original Medicare

A person without Medicare Part A coverage and he or she signs up for Medicare part B during general enrollment period

Enroll in Medicare prescription drug plan

April 1 – June 30

The person has Medicare part A coverage and later enrolls in Medicare part B during general enrollment period

Enroll in Medicare advantage plan

April 1 – June 30

What can be done?

When?

Open enrollment period for Medicare Prescription drug coverage and Medicare advantage

• Switch to Medicare advantage plan from Original Medicare
• Switch back to Original Medicare from Medicare advantage plan
• Change from one Medicare advantage plan to another
• Switch to advantage plan with drug coverage from advantage plan without drug coverage and vice versa
• Sign up for a Medicare prescription drug plan
• Switch from one prescription plan to another
• Sign out from prescription drug coverage completely

October 15 – December 7

Disenrollment period for Medicare advantage

• A person covered under advantage plan can opt out and switch back to the original Medicare Insurance
• A person who switched back to original Medicare in this period can also sign up for Prescription drug plan till February 14. The coverage starts from first month after getting enrollment form

What can’t be done?

• Switch to Medicare advantage plan from original Medicare
• Switch from one advantage plan or prescription drug plan to another
• Drop, switch or join a Medicare medical savings account plan

January 1 – February 14