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When thinking about your options for Medicare, it can be challenging to decide what will work best for you. There are many decisions to make and much to consider. Sometimes, it can seem like one option is right for you, but how can you be sure?
Thanks to the Medicare Advantage trial period and Medicare trial rights, you can test whether a Medicare Advantage plan might be better for you than Medigap. Let’s take a closer look.
What Is the Medicare Advantage Trial Period?
Many people enroll in Original Medicare and add a Medigap also called Medicare Supplement plan. But they may wonder if a Medicare Advantage plan would work better for the coverage they need or their budget. With the Medicare Advantage 12-month trial period, you can test a Medicare Advantage plan to see how it fits you. Medicare trial right means that if you decide the Medicare Advantage plan isn’t right for you, you can switch back to Original Medicare and buy a Medigap plan within the 12-month trial period.
Medicare Advantage Trial Period Rules
While the trial period for a Medicare Advantage plan is helpful, there are rules you need to know. For example, there are two situations in which you can qualify for trial rights with Medicare. These are:
- If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan when you first become eligible for Original Medicare, you can switch to a Medigap plan without undergoing a health screening if you do so within 12 months.
- If you are enrolled in a Medigap plan and decide to try Medicare Advantage for the first time, you can go back to your old Medigap plan if you leave within a year and your old plan is still available. If your old Medigap plan is no longer available, you will have to choose another Medigap plan.
Are You Eligible for the Medicare Trial Right?
If you are new to Medicare Advantage, then you are eligible for the trial period for the Medicare Advantage plan. This means that you can access the Medicare Advantage 12-month trial period if you have just enrolled in Medicare or have had Original Medicare for years.
How to try out a Medicare Advantage plan if you are not eligible for the Trial Right?
The Medicare Open Enrollment Period is ending tomorrow, Dec 7. It opens every year on October 15 and closes on December 7. During this time, any person who is enrolled in Original Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage Plan or a Prescription Drug Plan and their new coverage will begin Jan 1.
What many people don’t realize is the unique opportunity that Open Enrollment presents. You have a chance to test drive a Medicare Advantage plan with less risk than ever! Because you can choose to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan during this period and if you are not satisfied with your selection, you can change it during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, which runs from January 1 to March 31. The benefit of test-driving a plan during this time of year is that you can try it for a month or two.
During the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, which starts on January 1st and ends on March 31st, you have several options available, but remember you can make a change only once during this time. You can either switch back to Original Medicare and join a separate Medicare Prescription Drug plan, or you can switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another.
If the Medicare Advantage plan you selected during Open Enrollment works out well for you, you can choose to stay with it and enjoy it throughout the entire year.
