Many people left Original Medicare and their Medicare Supplement to join a Medicare Advantage plan during last year’s Annual Enrollment Period between October 15 and December 7.
If you are one of those people, there’s a very important consumer protection that you only have during your first 12 months in a Medicare Advantage plan that you need to know about: the Medicare Advantage Trial Right.
The Medicare Advantage Trial Right is also available to people who join a Medicare Advantage plan when they first become eligible for Medicare.
So whether you are brand new to Medicare and chose a Medicare Advantage plan for your coverage or you were on Original Medicare for any length of time and then chose to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, if you are in your first twelve months of Medicare Advantage coverage, you qualify for the Medicare Advantage Trial Right.
In this video, we’ll go through what the Medicare Advantage Trial Right is and how you can use it if you choose to do so.
Confused about your Medicare coverage options? Watch our free video: How to Find the Best Medicare Coverage Without Paying More Than You Need To…
Reasons to Enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan
Anecdotally, we heard lots of reasons for switching from a Medicare Supplement to a Medicare Advantage plan last fall.
Some Medicare Supplement premiums had large increases in 2021 and then policy owners got hit with the higher than expected Medicare Parts A and B cost increases for 2022. Those combined more than wiped out the increase to Social Security payments.
In other places, Medicare Advantage plans that hadn’t been as strong in previous years expanded their provider networks and improved their coverage to be more of a viable option than ever before.
Regardless of the reason for making the change, everyone who is in the first year of Medicare Advantage enrollment has an important protection just in case you decide that you don’t like your Medicare Advantage plan and want to change to Original Medicare.
Example 1: Switched to Medicare Advantage during AEP
Let’s first look at an example with someone who was on Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement and standalone Part D plan and switched to a Medicare Advantage plan during the AEP.
If you enroll during the AEP, your coverage begins January 1. That means your Medicare Advantage Trial Right runs through December 31.
If you decide anytime during that year that you’d rather leave your Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare, you can.
Your Medicare Advantage Trial Right allows you to disenroll from your Medicare Advantage plan, return to Original Medicare Parts A and B, enroll in a standalone Part D plan, and this is the big one, return to the Medicare Supplement you had before you enrolled in the Medicare Advantage plan.
You will be able to get your old Medicare Supplement back without having to go through medical underwriting. No matter what your health conditions are, your old Medicare Supplement company has to take you back.
You do want to coordinate your disenrollment from the Medicare Advantage plan with your enrollment back into your Medicare Supplement to avoid any time without coverage.
You can apply for your Medicare Supplement up to 60 days before your Medicare Advantage plan coverage ends and up to 63 days after your Medicare Advantage plan disenrollment.
This is not something to procrastinate with! If you wait more than 63 days after your Medicare Advantage coverage ends, your Medicare Supplement company doesn’t have to take you back.
If the Medicare Supplement you had before enrolling in the Medicare Advantage plan is no longer sold by your Medicare Supplement company, you can purchase a guaranteed issue plan sold by any company in your state.
Plans available by guaranteed issue are A, B, C, D, F, G, K, and L. Plans C and F are only available to people whose Medicare Parts A and B effective dates are before Jan 1, 2020, and Plans D and G are for people whose Medicare Parts A and B effective dates are Jan 1, 2020 or later.
Example 2: New to Medicare
Now, let’s look at an example with someone brand new to Medicare. If you became eligible for Medicare on May 1 and enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan with a May 1 effective date, your Medicare Advantage Trial Right runs from May 1 through April 30 of the following year.
If you decide any time during that year that your Medicare Advantage plan isn’t right for you, you can switch to Original Medicare, enroll in a standalone Part D plan, and purchase any Medicare Supplement sold by any company in your state.
The same timeline applies. You can apply for Medicare Supplement coverage up to 60 days before your Medicare Advantage plan ends and up to 63 days after Medicare Advantage coverage ends.
Group Medicare Advantage Plans
The Medicare Advantage Trial Right applies to both individual and group Medicare Advantage plans. If you enrolled in your employer’s group Medicare Advantage plan, you too can switch to Original Medicare, a standalone Part D plan, and a Medicare Supplement within your first twelve months.
Most insurance policies have some kind of trial or free look period during which you can return the policy if it isn’t right for you. Usually, these trial periods are 7 to 30 days.
The Medicare Advantage Trial Right of twelve months is a really strong consumer protection that was built into Medicare Advantage legislation.
Have Questions? We Can Help!
If you have questions about your Medicare coverage, please feel free to give our office a call at 877-312-1414 or schedule a free, no obligation Medicare Plan Consultation.
We’re here to educate you so you can find the best Medicare coverage for you!
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