Medicare Insurance Plans
Important Changes to Medicare in 2021
Expanded
Telehealth Services
Medicare rule changes for 2021 will allow Medicare Advantage Plans to provide telehealth services enabling doctors and other healthcare professionals to provide care and treatment to seniors using video conferencing.
Practice areas that can provide these services include:
- Primary Care
- Psychiatry
- Physical Therapy
- Gynecology
- Ophthalmology
- Endocrinology
Expansion of Special
Supplemental Benefits
Medicare Advantage Plans can now offer special supplemental benefits to the chronically ill having a reasonable expectation of improving or maintaining the health, which include:
- In-home Personal Care
- Non-medical Transportation
- Pest Control
- Meal Deliveries
- Health and Fitness Devices
Medicare Advantage for
End Stage Renal Disease
Eligible Medicare beneficiaries with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) can now enroll in Medicare Advantage plans.
Key Dates for Medicare
2021 Plan Year
Annual Enrollment Period (AEP)
Oct 15, 2020 to Dec 7, 2020
- You can switch from Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan
- You can sign-up or modify your Prescription Drug Plan (Medicare Part D)
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP)
Jan 1, 2021 to Mar 31, 2021
If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan:
- You can change to another Medicare Advantage Plan.
- You can go back to Medicare, with or without a Prescription Drug Plan (Medicare Part D).
5-Star Special Enrollment Period (SEP)
Dec 8, 2020 to Nov 30, 2021
Each year, Medicare rates Medicare Advantage Plans and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans based on customer surveys and the overall quality of care provided by the plans to their enrollees. A select few of these plans get the highest rating of 5 Stars.
- If you live in an area served by these plans, you can sign-up during this period.
Special Enrollment Periods (SEP)
Sign-up period is determined by the specific life event affecting you.
You can enroll in Medicare outside of the regular enrollment periods when faced with certain extenuating circumstances that include:
- You change where you live
- You lose your current coverage
- You have a chance to get other coverage
- Your plan changes its contract with Medicare
- Other special situations
Initial Enrollment Period (IEP)
7-month period (3 months before and 3 months after your eligibility month)
When you first become eligible to sign-up for Medicare, you have a 7-month window to enroll that starts 3 months before your eligibility month and ends 3 months after your eligibility month.
Example: If you are eligible for Medicare when you turn 65 and let's say, your birth month is August...
In the year you turn 65 (and hence, eligible for Medicare), your 7-month sign-up window begins in May and ends in November.
Medicare Insurance Inquiry Form
Got Questions?
Download the Latest Free Medicare Handbook (2021)Descargue el último manual gratuito de Medicare (2021)
FAQs
What are the changes coming to Medicare in 2021?
- Expanded Telehealth Services allowed by Medicare Advantage Plans.
- Expansion of Special Supplemental Benefits to the Chronically Ill.
- Medicare Advantage now available for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
Medicare rule changes for 2021 will allow Medicare Advantage Plans to provide telehealth services enabling doctors and other healthcare professionals to provide care and treatment to seniors using video conferencing.
Expansion of Special Supplemental Benefits
Medicare Advantage Plans can now offer special supplemental benefits to the chronically ill having a reasonable expectation of improving or maintaining the health, which include:
- In-home Personal Care
- Non-medical Transportation
- Pest Control
- Meal Deliveries, and
- Health and Fitness Devices
Eligible Medicare beneficiaries with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) can now enroll in Medicare Advantage plans.
When is the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) for 2021 Plan Year?
What changes can I make during the Annual Enrollment Period?
- You can switch from Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan.
- You can sign-up or modify your Prescription Drug Plan (Medicare Part D).
When is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP)?
What changes can I make during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP)?
- You can change to another Medicare Advantage Plan.
- You can go back to Medicare, with or without a Prescription Drug Plan (Medicare Part D).
