The Medicare Advantage trial right is a federal protection that can give certain people an opportunity to leave Medicare Advantage, return to Original Medicare, and purchase Medigap without normal medical underwriting barriers.
There are two important trial-right situations.
One applies when you first join Medicare Advantage when becoming eligible for Medicare at age 65 and decide to return to Original Medicare during the first year.
Another can apply when you drop an existing Medigap policy to try Medicare Advantage for the first time and decide within 12 months that you want your Medigap coverage back.
Suppose you become eligible for Medicare at age 65 and choose Medicare Advantage instead of Original Medicare.
If you decide during your first year that you want Original Medicare instead, federal trial-right protections can allow you to buy certain Medigap policies available in your state.
Suppose you already had:
and then dropped your Medigap policy to join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time.
If you decide within the applicable 12-month trial period that you want to return to Original Medicare, you may have the right to get your former Medigap policy back if the same insurer still offers it.
If it isn’t available, other guaranteed-issue options may apply.
Outside protected situations, returning from Medicare Advantage to Medigap can sometimes require:
depending on your state.
The trial right can remove that obstacle when its requirements are satisfied.
If you think Medicare Advantage isn’t a good fit, begin investigating your rights before the end of the trial period.
You need time to coordinate:
Medicare Advantage Trial Right: Your 12-Month Protection
This is a Medicare rule more people should know about.
Someone tries Medicare Advantage, realizes they don’t like the network or authorization structure, and assumes they’re stuck forever.
If you’re inside a valid trial-right period, you may have valuable Medigap protections.
But the important words are:
“May have.”
Don’t simply cancel Medicare Advantage.
First determine exactly which trial-right rule applies and which Medigap coverage you can obtain.
Medicare Advantage plans cover Medicare-covered cancer treatment, including qualifying chemotherapy, but plan networks, prior authorization rules and out-of-pocket costs can become especially important when someone has cancer.
Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period, also commonly called Medicare Open Enrollment, runs, October 15 through December 7 each year.
CHECK MY MEDIGAP OPTIONS
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