SHIP can help you weigh Medicare coverage options

Vermont SMP is urging Medicare beneficiaries considering a change in health-care coverage to seek advice from an unbiased source as they weigh options.

Medicare’s Open Enrollment period runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, and is the time when beneficiaries are able to change coverage. This might include a switch from Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or vice versa. 

Medicare Advantage is Medicare-approved private health insurance that often includes options different from traditional coverage. For example, a Medicare Advantage plan might include prescription coverage while a traditional Medicare beneficiary always has to purchase separate prescription insurance. Options and pricing structures for Medicare Advantage vary by plan and by state.

Medicare’s annual Open Enrollment period runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.

Choosing the right option can be difficult, particularly as insurance companies conduct heavy marketing before and during Open Enrollment.

We recommend beneficiaries and first-timers schedule an appointment with Vermont’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) before making a decision. Employees and volunteers for this federally funded program can help you understand and weigh the differences between plans to select the best option. Remember that no one has the right to pressure you to make a decision before the Dec. 7 deadline.

Remember, also, that everyone has a one-time opportunity to switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to traditional Medicare or another Advantage plan from Jan. 1 through March 31 following Open Enrollment.

Contact Vermont SHIP at 1-800-642-5119.