WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU? CHANGES TO MEDICARE ENROLLMENT FOR 2023
enrollment period is Oct. 15–Dec. 31. It coincides with the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, Oct. 15–Dec. 7. 2. If you sign up during the Initial Enrollment Period but enroll in the months after your birthday, Medicare will be effective the first day of the month after registering. 3. Special Enrollment for Part D will allow coverage on the first day of the month following enrollment. 4. Information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will be provided to educate eligible enrollees. 5. Medicare coverage will extend for ESRD patients under 65. Before these changes, enrollment periods were restrictive and precise — making it difficult to enroll or change your coverage. The BENES Act helps the Secretary of Health and Human Service to initiate an enrollment period for those with exceptional circumstances. It also enables individuals retiring at the end of their initial enrollment period to have a smoother transition from employer coverage to Medicare.
Medicare is always changing, and one of the complaints most people have is how difficult it is to enroll. Because of confusing enrollment period dates, many people who turn 65 are not Medicare-eligible on their birthdays. Thankfully, upcoming changes will help solve some of these problems. The Challenge of Enrolling Today Due to COVID-19, the only option to enroll in Medicare is online through the Social Security Administration website. Enrolling in Medicare online is not easy — even if everything runs smoothly. Currently, the Social Security Administration website combines email and text confirmation codes to ensure privacy in the process, but some individuals may not have an email address or even use texting.
But the challenges don’t stop there. Even if you can enroll, you could be penalized for not following instructions
(because they are so confusing). These and other issues led to the majority of complaints about enrolling in Medicare. Thankfully, the changes Congress made to the Medicare enrollment process lessens or resolves many of these challenges.
You will get notifications about Medicare enrollment in advance! Some claim they didn’t know about their Medicare enrollment. But the upcoming changes to Medicare
through the BENES Act will include notifying people of Medicare eligibility.
The BENES Act In December 2020, Congress passed the Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and
Notifications will start at ages 60–64. Medicare will send
Eligibility Simplification (BENES) Act. The act became a law in late 2020 but goes into effect in 2023. New provisions will make enrolling in Medicare easier and less confusing.
information to explain rules such as Medicare eligibility, time frames for enrollment, Medicare penalties, delaying Medicare without penalty, Part B coordination of benefits, and other online resources.
There are three primary components the BENES Act will change.
Hopefully, these changes will help people not miss
1. The waiting period after enrollment during the General Enrollment Period 2. Provisions for Special Enrollment Period in Advantage and Medicare Part D 3. The timing of enrollment periods to lessen confusion and reduce penalties
their opportunities.
All of these changes will take effect on Jan. 1, 2023. We still have a few months, but with all of these changes, and because Medicare and Medicaid are already complicated, you may need help understanding the rules and enrollment. Allow your friends at Omaha Insurance Solutions to assist you. We will be happy to go more in-depth about what the BENES Act is changing and how it affects you. So, call us today at (402) 614-3389!
Upcoming Changes 1.
Coverage will start the first day of the following month after you sign up during the General Enrollment Period. The new
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