Key Enrollment Dates

Here are some important dates to remember when you are considering your Medicare health and drug plan choices.

ANNUAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD (AEP)

October 15th to December 7th

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) begins on October 15th and continues until December 7th. During this time, you should review your health coverage and your prescription drug coverage. You can choose to keep your current coverage or make changes to your coverage for the upcoming year. If you decide to change to a new plan, you can choose any of the following types of plans:

• Another Medicare Advantage plan. (You can choose a plan that covers prescription drugs or one that does not cover prescription drugs.)
• Original Medicare with a separate Medicare prescription drug plan.
• Original Medicare without a separate Medicare prescription drug plan.

 When will your coverage begin? Your coverage will begin on January 1 of the following year, as long as the plan receives your enrollment request by December 7.

Note: If you disenroll from a Medicare prescription drug plan and go without creditable prescription drug coverage, you may need to pay a late enrollment penalty if you join a Medicare drug plan later. (“Creditable” coverage means the coverage is at least as good as Medicare’s standard prescription drug coverage.)

MEDICARE ADVANTAGE DISENROLLMENT PERIOD (MADP)

January 1 to February 14

During this period, you can cancel Medicare Advantage enrollment and switch to Original Medicare. If you choose to switch to Original Medicare, you may also choose a separate Medicare prescription drug plan at the same time.

When will your coverage end? Your coverage will end on the first day of the month after we get your request to switch to Original Medicare. If you also choose to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan, your coverage by the drug plan will begin at the same time.

YEAR ROUND ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNTIES

From January 1 forward, enrollment periods are only available to people who are newly eligible to Medicare or who are in a special enrollment period. 

INITIAL COVERAGE ENROLLMENT PERIOD (ICEP)

The ICEP is the 7-month period that begins 3 months before you become eligible for Medicare Part B and ends 3 months after your month of eligibility. During this period you can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan. Generally, the initial coverage election period relates to an individual’s 65th birthday or 25th month of disability. If you enroll during this period, your coverage begins on the 1st day of the month of entitlement to Medicare Part A and Part B – or – the 1st day of the month following the month the enrollment request was made if after entitlement has occurred. This means that if you enroll during the period that relates to your 65th birthday, your coverage begins as follows.

SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIODS (SEP)

In most cases, you must stay enrolled for that calendar year starting the date your coverage begins. However, in certain situations, you may be able to join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage Plan at other times. These are called Special Enrollment Periods. Some of these situations include the following:

• If you move out of your plan’s service area
• If you have both Medicare and Medicaid
• If you qualify for Prescription Advantage or Extra Help to pay for your prescription drug costs
• If you live in an institution (like a nursing home)
• If you lose employer group coverage

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

Medicare Beneficiaries may enroll in the HNE Medicare Advantage Plan:

• Online: Enroll Now via hne.com/medicare or the CMS Online Enrollment Center at www.Medicare.gov
• In person: come in to our office, we are happy to help. Get directions to our office.
• By mail: fill out and mail us an enrollment form using the enrollment form and instructions.
• Telephone: call Member Services and ask to enroll in our plan.

H8578_2016_049 Approved
The information on this page was last updated on 04/12/2014