If you enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan that you are not happy with or that is not meeting your prescription needs, you can change to a different Medicare Part D plan. However, there are rules as to when you can change Medicare Part D plans, depending on your circumstances.
- Most people can only change to a new Medicare Part D plan once a year, and must enroll in the new plan between October 15th and December 7th. The new Plan will then be effective January 1.
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NOTE: Be sure to review your Medicare Part D Plan every fall. Plans change the drugs they will cover and often change their premiums and co-pays every January 1. |
There are various Special Enrollment Periods for special circumstances. For example, if you move into or out of a nursing home, you have 2 months after the move to join a new Medicare Part D Plan. Likewise, if you involuntarily lose other creditable prescription drug coverage, you have 2 months to join a Medicare Part D Plan. For more information on Special Enrollment Periods, contact 1-800-MEDICARE, your local Area Agency on Aging or Legal Services for the Elderly’s Medicare Part D Unit 1-877-774-7772.
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NOTE: If you have Medicare and either MaineCare, a Medicare Savings Program (the “Buy In”), or LIS through Social Security, you have Special Enrollment Periods to change your Part D Plan more often. But you need to enroll in a “benchmark” plan, or you will have to pay part (or a larger part) of the premium yourself. |
Contact your local Area Agency on Aging (the Maine State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)) at 1-877-353-3771, or TTY: 1-800-750-5353, for more information.
Revised December 2018
