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 During this time, you can 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.

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.)

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

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 February 15 forward, enrollment periods are only available to people who are newly eligible for 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)

5-STAR SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD (SEP)

Beginning December 8th 2011, Medicare has created a new SEP related to their star ratings program. This SEP allows enrollment outside of the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) into a 5-Star Medicare Advantage plan for individuals in the following categories:

• Currently a member of a plan that does not have 5 stars
• Currently only has Original Medicare (with or without a standalone prescription drug plan that is not 5 Stars)

The effective date for the enrollment is the 1st of the month following the enrollment request. This SEP can be used only once and the election that is made using the SEP will remain in effect for the duration of that plan year (available for effective dates January 1 - December 1). For more information regarding the 5-Star SEP, please contact the HNE Member Services department at one of the numbers listed below.

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

Medicare Beneficiaries may enroll in the HNE Medicare Advantage Plan:

• Online: Click on Enroll Now via hne.com/medicare or the CMS Online Enrollment Center at www.Medicare.gov

• In person: come in to our office (click here for directions)

• Telephone: call Member Services and ask to enroll in our plan.

• By mail: fill out and mail us an enrollment form (click here for enrollment form and instructions)