Medicare Most Frequently Asked Questions - Part 2

When Can I Sign Up for Medicare?

You can sign up for Medicare as soon as you become eligible, regardless of what month it is. But each year, you have the option of making changes to your Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plan (or Medicare Part D) during open enrollment. Open enrollment ran from October 15 to December 7 and has been so for several years. 

During that period, you could have switched from original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan, or vice versa. You could have also switched from one Medicare Advantage plan to another, or from one Medicare part D prescription drug plan to another, or dropped your Medicare Part D coverage altogether.

There is also the Medicare Advantage disenrollment period in which you are currently in. This period runs from January 1 to February 14 each year. During this time, Medicare Advantage enrollees can switch back to Original Medicare and then sign up for Medicare part D as well. Again, if you are newly eligible for Medicare, you can enroll the year around.

Are There  Other Times I Enroll in Medicare?

There are also special circumstances where Special Enrollment Periods are available. According to Medicare.gov, if you are covered under a group health plan from a current employment, you can sign up for Part A and/or B during the Special Enrollment Period as long as you or your spouse are working and are covered by a group health plan through your employer.  Additionally, there is an eight month period where you can sign up for Part A and/or B the month after employment ends or group health plan insurance ends

If you have any additional Medicare questions or comments, leave them below.