Life is unpredictable. Things happen. Sometimes, that can lend itself to losing health insurance coverage. You may move to an area outside your network, and because of that, you may need to switch Medicare Plans. Or, an unforeseen situation arises which forces you to make an immediate change. Special Enrollment Periods exist for this reason. Your coverage should not go out from under you. This way, you are covered under a Medicare plan even at short notice.

What situations would the Special Enrollment Apply to?

The Special Enrollment Period has different timelines based on the situation involved. Here is a list of cases in which this will apply:

• If you are 65, and your insurance coverage through your employer’s group health plan is about to end. The enrollment period here will be two months, beginning when you are no longer on that health plan.

• You either move out of your service area, or you move to a new address in which you remain within the service area yet have new options available to you. In this case, your enrollment period would go from one month before you move, to two months after you move.
• You move back to the U.S. after living in a foreign country. Your enrollment period will last for the two months after you move.
• You have gotten out of jail. You have two months to enroll once you are released.
• When you have an opportunity to drop Medicare in favor of an employer’s private insurance plan. This change can be made at any time your employer lets you make the change in your healthcare plan.

Why Special Enrollment?

Special Enrollment keeps you from going without insurance. If you were to be dropped and needed health coverage, you would be limited to enrolling during times when coverage would not be immediate. General Enrollment would require waiting until the time between January 1 and March 31. Even then, your coverage would not be in effect until July 1. Special Enrollment makes it so that unpredictable life events do not leave you in a stressful financial situation.

If you have any questions…

We are here to assist you with any inquiries you may have regarding Medicare and the various aspects of it. We won’t let any question go unanswered. Call us at (509) 993-9887 today.