5 Medicare Enrollment Dates Ohioans Can’t Afford to Miss This Fall
Medicare open enrollment is already underway, and the deadline comes faster than you might think.
Ohioans who are on Medicare, or about to join, can miss a chance to change plans if they let the dates slip by.
Here are the dates worth putting on your calendar now.
Note: This is general information, not insurance advice. Medicare rules and dates are subject to change, so confirm the current details with the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) at the Ohio Department of Insurance.
1. October 15 Start Date
Medicare open enrollment opens every year on Oct. 15, and Medicare.gov lists the full Open Enrollment Period as October 15-December 7.
That’s nearly eight weeks to compare coverage and change plans.
Those weeks go fast.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) calls the same window the Annual Enrollment Period, so you may see both names.
Oct. 15 isn’t a deadline, so skipping opening day costs you nothing.
What can cost you is letting the window close before you’ve compared anything.
2. December 7 Deadline
Medicare open enrollment ends Dec. 7, and the plan has to get your request by that date.
That puts the pressure on the plan receiving your request, so the last day leaves you no room for a mistake.
Send it early.
If you miss Dec. 7, your choices narrow.
You’d have the Jan. 1 to Mar. 31 window if you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan, or a Special Enrollment Period if you qualify for one.
What Medicare’s Dec. 7 Deadline Covers
Medicare’s Dec. 7 deadline covers plan changes.
You can join, drop or switch a Medicare Advantage Plan, or move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
If you have Original Medicare, it also covers joining, dropping or switching a drug plan.
It doesn’t cover signing up for Part A or Part B, which run on a different set of windows.
Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance), which helps cover your share of costs like copayments and deductibles, has a separate six-month window.
That window starts the first day of the month you’re 65 or older and signed up for Part B.
After it ends, Medicare.gov says your options to buy a Medigap policy may be limited, and the policy may cost more.
3. January 1 Coverage Start
Medicare open enrollment changes take effect Jan. 1, so a plan you pick in the fall doesn’t start until the new year.
Your plan’s Notice of Change spells out what’s different then.
Medicare.gov says plans send the notice in September, and it covers changes in coverage and costs that take effect in January.
Read it first.
Review the changes and decide whether the plan will still meet your needs next year.
If the notice never shows up, contact your plan.
Psst! How much do you know about Medicare? Take our quiz and see if you can ace it.
Quiz
Medicare Terms IQ
Answer these questions on Medicare cards, costs, and Medigap. We bet you can’t get them all right. Prove us wrong?
Without Medigap or a Medicare Advantage Plan, what yearly cap does Original Medicare put on what you pay out of pocket?
4. January 1 to March 31 Switch Window
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, and Medicare.gov says it's only for people already in a Medicare Advantage Plan.
During those months, you can switch to another Medicare Advantage Plan or drop yours and return to Original Medicare.
Returning to Original Medicare lets you join a separate drug plan too.
You can make only one change during this window.
You get one try.
Before you switch, our piece on Medicare Advantage switches covers what to weigh.
If you miss Mar. 31, a Special Enrollment Period is the other route, and only if you qualify for one.
5. Your 65th Birthday Window
Medicare enrollment has one window that belongs to you, and your 65th birthday sets it.
Your Initial Enrollment Period starts 3 months before you turn 65 and ends 3 months after the month you turn 65.
If you get premium-free Part A, coverage starts the month you turn 65, or the month before if your birthday is on the first, Medicare.gov says.
If you don't sign up when you're first eligible, you'll have to wait and go months without coverage.
You might also pay a monthly penalty for as long as you have Part B.
Waiting gets pricier.
Wait two full years without a Special Enrollment Period, and the penalty is 20%, plus the standard Part B premium.
If you're still working with coverage through your job, a Special Enrollment Period can change your timing.
If you miss your window, the General Enrollment Period runs Jan. 1 through Mar. 31 each year, and coverage starts the month after you sign up.
Workers nearing 65 can find more timing traps in our piece on mistakes before retirement in Ohio.
Psst! How much do you know about Medicare penalties and special windows? Take our quiz and see how many you can get right.
Quiz
Medicare Penalty Pop Quiz
Answer these questions on Medicare late penalties and special windows. We bet you can't get them all right. Prove us wrong?
The Part D late enrollment penalty multiplies the national base beneficiary premium by what percent for each uncovered month?
Medicare Open Enrollment Dates in Ohio
Medicare open enrollment dates in Ohio are the federal dates.
The Ohio Department of Insurance lists Medicare open enrollment as October 15 through December 7, so you can plan around the same dates Medicare.gov gives you.
Same dates, every state.
The department's Medicare page also points to Medicare Checkup events, where you can learn what's new for next year and how to compare plans.
Free Medicare Counseling in Ohio
Medicare counseling in Ohio comes from the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP), part of the Ohio Department of Insurance.
The department describes OSHIIP as free, objective Medicare health insurance information and one-on-one counseling.
You can reach the Medicare and OSHIIP line at 800-686-1578.
Help costs nothing.
Calling early gives you more time to compare plans before Dec. 7.
FAQ
Quick answers to common Medicare enrollment questions.
When is Medicare open enrollment in Ohio?
Medicare open enrollment runs October 15 through December 7 each year. Ohio follows the same federal dates as every other state.
What is the last day to change Medicare plans?
December 7 is the last day of open enrollment, and your plan has to get your request by then.
Changes take effect January 1.
Can you switch Medicare Advantage plans after December 7?
If you're already in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you can make one change from January 1 through March 31.
You can switch to another Medicare Advantage Plan or return to Original Medicare.
When does new Medicare coverage start after open enrollment?
Changes you make during open enrollment start on January 1 of the next year.
Where can Ohioans get free help with Medicare?
The Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP), part of the Ohio Department of Insurance, offers free one-on-one Medicare counseling.
You can call 800-686-1578.
Extra Help is a Medicare program that helps people with limited income and resources pay prescription drug costs, and Medicare.gov says you don't pay a Part D late enrollment penalty if you get it.
OSHIIP helps Ohioans apply, so call 800-686-1578 or email oshiipmail@insurance.ohio.gov.
8 Kinds of Unclaimed Money Ohio Residents Never Think to Search For
Money with your name on it may be sitting in a state database right now.
Typing your last name into a box is all it takes to find out.
8 Kinds of Unclaimed Money Ohio Residents Never Think to Search For
6 Ohio Tax Credits Retirees Overlook Every Filing Season
Ohio doesn't tax Social Security, so many retirees stop reading their state return right there.
A few credits are still sitting further down the form.
