It’s That Time of Year: The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is Almost Upon Us

It’s almost that magical time of year again, when seemingly every second or third commercial on television is for Medicare health insurance. That time of year when retired football players and B-list actors take to the airwaves to beseech you to call a national 1-800 number to discuss important health and financial decisions with someone you’ll never meet and never speak with again. Yes, the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period—with all its conflicting messages and confusion—is almost upon us.

The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period occurs each year between October 15 and December 7 and any change made during this period is effective on January 1. This is an important time of year for Medicare beneficiaries because most Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans evolve from year to year. These changes are communicated to plan members around this time of year, and this is the most common time someone may switch plans to find something more suitable.

But with so many advertisements and confusion, how can you cut through the noise to find the plan that is right for you? We believe that using a local broker with access to numerous insurers can help to match you with the Medicare plan that best suits your needs. The key, however, is finding a broker that is impartial and has contracts with many plans in the marketplace. Additionally, a good broker seeks to build long-term relationships with clients and guides them when updating plans for changing needs.

Given the health and financial implications of making Medicare changes during the Annual Enrollment Period, these decisions are too important to be left to guesswork and slick advertising. Instead, we believe that everyone should have access to a trusted local broker who is impartial, service-oriented and supportive of your needs. To see if consulting a local health insurance broker can assist you in making better Medicare decisions, please call Bruce or Logan at Blue Chip in Saratoga at 518-584-8057 or visit www.1bluechip.com.