By CRIS
Community Resources for Independent Seniors
The National Council on Aging/ My Medicare Matters, mymedicarematters.org, reminds us that Medicare open enrollment is time is here.
What is Open Enrollment?
The Medicare Open Enrollment Period is an annual period of time (Oct. 15 through Dec. 7) when current Medicare users can choose to re-evaluate part of their Medicare coverage (their Medicare Advantage and/or Part D plan) and compare it against all the other plans on the market.
After re-evaluating, if you find a plan that is a better fit for your needs, you can then switch to, drop or add a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Medicare Advantage is also known as a “Part C” plan. You cannot use Open Enrollment to enroll in Part A and/or Part B for the first time.
What you can do during the Open Enrollment Period (OEP):
- Anyone who has (or is signing up for) Medicare Parts A or B can join or drop a Part D prescription drug plan.
- Anyone with Original Medicare (Parts A & B) can switch to a Medicare Advantage plan.
- Anyone with Medicare Advantage can drop it and switch back to just Original Medicare (Parts A & B).
- Anyone with Medicare Advantage can switch to a new Medicare Advantage plan.
- Anyone with a Part D prescription drug plan can switch to a new Part D prescription drug plan.
Still confused?
In keeping with the CRIS mission, we continue to identify and coordinate supportive services for individuals 55 and older living in the Cazenovia, Nelson and Fenner areas. The goal of these services is to help seniors stay active and engaged in our community and assist with aging in place.
We have heard your questions and how confusing health care options can be and we are pleased to offer you a wide variety of educational presentations to answer all your questions.
We have partnered with Prudential to offer education and to be able to answer your unique questions on Medicare at our CRIS office (2662 Rt. 20 East, Cazenovia, in the Cherry Valley Professional Plaza).
We will start with a training to help you make the right choice and give you peace of mind: Tuesday, Oct. 23, 10:30 a.m. to noon. The training will cover the A, B, C & D’s of Medicare. The training will assist you in your health care options, answer how to lower your RX costs and how to maximize your entitlements. An RSVP is appreciated to plan for snacks and beverages but walk-ins are always welcome.
Please follow us on Facebook (CallCris) or look at our events calendar on our website cris-caz.com for all our community events. As always, feel free to call the office 315-655-5743 or email us at [email protected] with any questions.
