Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period opened on October 15 and runs through December 7, and if your mailbox already looks like a recycling bin, you are not alone. The good news is that you can compare Medicare plans during AEP without reading every flyer or taking every call. You need a short process, a couple of lists, and a willingness to ignore anything that does not touch your own health care.
This article is educational only. Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) are the official sources for plan and coverage information.
This guide walks through that process in the order that tends to work best for the people we help in South Florida. Changes you make during AEP take effect on January 1, so there is time to do this properly.
Why AEP Feels So Overwhelming
Part of it is volume. Every fall, plans send their materials, advertisers fill the TV schedule, and your phone rings more than usual. Part of it is that the choices really do have moving parts: premiums, deductibles, copays, drug tiers, pharmacy networks, doctor networks and extra benefits.
The trick is to stop trying to understand every plan and start by understanding your own year. Once you know what you need covered, most plans eliminate themselves.
Step 1: Decide Whether You Need to Change Anything
Before you compare anything, read the Annual Notice of Change your current plan sent in September, if you are in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. It lists what is changing for next year. Look for:
- Changes to your monthly premium, deductible or copays
- Any of your medications moving to a different tier or leaving the drug list
- Doctors or hospitals you use leaving the network
- Changes to extra benefits you actually rely on
If nothing important changed and your plan served you well this year, it may be reasonable to stay put. Plans generally renew automatically if you take no action. Reviewing still matters, because you only learn whether you are fine by checking.
Step 2: Build Your Two Lists
Most of the confusion goes away once you have two lists in front of you.
Your medication list. Write down every prescription by exact name, dosage and how often you fill it. Include the pharmacy you use. A plan can cover a drug at one strength and treat another strength differently, so details matter here.
Your provider list. Write down your primary care doctor, every specialist you see and the hospital you would want to go to. If you split the year between Florida and somewhere up north, note where you get care in each place.
With those two lists, you have a filter that does most of the work for you.
Step 3: Understand the Paths Before the Plans
There are two broad ways to get Medicare coverage, and it helps to know which one you are shopping in before you look at specific plans.
- Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), often paired with a stand-alone Part D drug plan, and sometimes a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy to help with cost-sharing
- Medicare Advantage (Part C), offered by private companies approved by Medicare, which usually bundles hospital, medical and often drug coverage into one plan with its own network rules
Neither path is right for everyone. People choose one or the other based on their doctors, how much they travel, how they prefer to budget and how they feel about networks. If you are curious about switching paths, ask about the rules that apply to you before you assume it is simple, since moving into a Medigap policy later can involve health questions in some situations.
Step 4: Narrow to a Short List
You do not need to compare twenty plans. In most Florida counties, a handful will clearly fit your lists better than the rest. A short list of two or three is plenty.
To get there:
- Run your medication list through the Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov, or ask a licensed agent to run it
- Check each must-keep doctor in each plan’s provider directory for the coming year
- Drop any plan that misses a key drug or doctor, regardless of how good the premium looks
That last point is where many people save themselves real frustration. A low premium does not help much if your specialist is out of network.
Step 5: Compare Full-Year Costs, Not Just the Premium
For each plan on your short list, estimate what a realistic year would cost you. Add up:
- Twelve months of premiums
- Expected copays for the visits you know are coming
- Your drug costs at your chosen pharmacy, based on the plan’s own estimate
- The out-of-pocket maximum, if it is a Medicare Advantage plan, as a way to think about a harder health year
Remember that most people pay the Part B premium no matter which path they choose, so keep that in mind when you see a plan advertised with a low or zero plan premium.
Step 6: Look at What Is Easy to Miss
A few details tend to surface only after enrollment, so it is worth checking them now:
- Whether you need referrals to see specialists
- Whether prior authorization is common for services you use
- How the plan handles care when you travel outside Florida
- Whether your preferred pharmacy is a preferred pharmacy in that plan’s network
None of these should drive the whole decision, but each one can change how a plan feels to use day to day.
Step 7: Decide, Enroll and Confirm
Once you have chosen, enroll through the plan, through Medicare.gov, by calling 1-800-MEDICARE, or with a licensed agent. Keep the confirmation number. Your new plan will send a member ID card and welcome materials before January 1.
If you change your mind before December 7, you can make another choice, and the last enrollment submitted during AEP is generally the one that takes effect.
A Note on the Phone Calls and Mailers
You do not have to respond to every mailer or advertisement. If a caller pressures you, rushes you or will not answer your questions directly, it is fine to hang up. A good comparison is calm and built around your lists. If you would rather have someone run the numbers with you, that is where an independent broker can help, and you can read more about how we approach Medicare plans in Florida before you decide whether to call.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I compare and change Medicare plans this fall?
The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15 through December 7. Changes you make during that window take effect on January 1. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, there is also a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31 that allows one change.
What is the fastest way to compare Medicare plans during AEP?
Start with two lists: your medications with exact dosages and your doctors and hospitals. Use them to rule out plans that miss a key drug or provider, then compare full-year costs for the two or three plans that remain.
Do I have to change plans during AEP?
No. If your current plan still covers your drugs and doctors and the changes in your Annual Notice of Change are acceptable, you can stay. Plans generally renew automatically if you do nothing, so the review is about confirming that staying is still a good fit.
Is a plan with a lower premium always cheaper?
Not necessarily. A lower premium can come with higher copays, a higher deductible or different drug pricing. Estimating your total yearly cost, including drugs at your pharmacy and the visits you expect, gives a more accurate picture than the premium alone.
Does it cost anything to have a licensed agent help me compare?
Working with a licensed independent broker like Maher Insurance Group does not add a fee for you. Keep in mind that a broker can only discuss the plans it offers, and Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE can give information on all of your options.
Compare at Your Own Pace, With Help If You Want It
You can do this review on your own with the steps above, and many people do. If you would like a licensed agent to run your medication and doctor lists against the plans we offer in your county, call Maher Insurance Group at (866) 220-2834, or fill out our short online questionnaire and we will follow up at a time that suits you.
Maher Insurance Group is a licensed independent insurance brokerage and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to the plans we do offer. Contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE for information on all of your options.
Leave a Reply