How & when can I switch my advantage plan?
In general, you can only change your Advantage plan during the annual enrollment period that runs from October 15 – December.
Unless you have a special circumstance such as moving out of your current plans service area or qualifying for a low-income subsidy, you can only change your Advantage plan during the annual enrollment period that runs from October 15 – December 7.
The first step in analyzing coverage is to review the ANOC (Annual Notice of Change) you will receive in late September of every year. This document is mailed out by your current prescription drug plan. We recommend you read through it in full and look at 5 key areas to determine if you need to switch plans for the following calendar year. You’ll need to consider the following:
- Monthly premium change.
- Deductible and Annual Maximum Out-of-Pocket Changes.
- Formulary changes for your medications – make sure they haven’t deleted any medications you take from their formulary.
- Tier & copay changes – make sure your current copays didn’t jump up to a much higher tier, which means your co-pay will go up next year.
If there are no major changes – there is nothing you need to do. Your plan will auto-renew for the following year.
However if there are major changes, or one of your medications has been dropped from the plan formulary, you can easily see other plan options by using our switching portal here. You’ll be able to input your current medications, compare benefits, and enroll directly on the site in about 5 minutes.
If you would like help with reviewing plan options and enrolling – please contact us and we will be happy to help.
If you choose to enroll in a different plan, your new coverage will begin on January 1st. You do not need to cancel your old plan as you will automatically be disenrolled effective December 31st.
