How to Get Out of a Medicare Complete Plan

Sometimes we join an insurance plan and realize it doesn't cover everything we need. You may have to go through lengthy appeals processes just to get the care you deserve and that you're paying for. Sometimes enough is enough, and you decide you want to switch. If you'd like to switch out of a Medicare Complete plan, you're in luck. Medicare has a lot of options for switching, as long as you're in an enrollment period.

Instructions

• 1

  Find out if you are in an enrollment period. Enrollment periods are the times of the year where you can switch plans. You can only switch if you are in one of these periods. There are two enrollment periods: The first is the General or Open Enrollment Period. This enrollment period lasts from January 1 through March 31 every year. You can make one switch from a Medicare Complete plan to another Medicare Advantage plan, or you can decide to switch back to Original Medicare. Please note that you can only make one switch during this time, and you are locked into your decision until the next enrollment period. After you switch, your new plan will begin the first day of the month following the switch. So if you switched on February 12, your new insurance will begin on March 1.

• 2

  Find out if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. If you want to get out of your Medicare Complete plan and it is not one of the enrollment periods listed above, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. Some reasons to qualify include moving or if you are in the first 12 months of being qualified for Medicare. Or the plan may have used fraud to get you to join. Call the Social Security Administration to see if you qualify for switching.

  You may also be eligible for a Special Enrollment Period if you qualify for programs such as a State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program, Medicaid, Medicare Savings Program, Supplemental Security Income or Extra Help. These are federal and state-based programs that help out with the costs of Medicare. They each have their own income and asset limits. You can call your State Health Insurance Program to find out if you qualify. If you do qualify, apply, and then you can make one switch to your health care, including switching out of your Medicare Complete plan, each month.

• 3

  Switch plans. Once you're in an enrollment period, call 800-MEDICARE and explain that you would like to switch. You can also do so by calling the plan you'd like to switch to directly. Do not call the plan you are leaving. In fact, leaving a plan counts as your one switch if you are limited, and you may end up without coverage. Join a new plan, and you will be automatically dropped from your old plan.