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Open Enrollment ends on Dec. 7! Download the free guide to help weigh coverage options. 

Mitchell Clark

Director of Digital Strategy & Communications

Medicare Part B Premium Announced for 2020

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced
the Medicare Part B premium for 2020. Starting January 1, the standard Part B premium will increase from $135.50 to $144.60 per month.

Medicare Rights Lists 30 Policy Goals for Medicare’s Future

This June, the Medicare Rights Center celebrates 30 years of getting Medicare right. Our policy goals are informed by 30 years of serving people with Medicare on our national helpline and through our educational programs. This anniversary represents an important opportunity to look forward and explore how policymakers can make the Medicare program even better.

Learn Medicare Anytime, Anywhere, at Your Own Pace

The Medicare Rights Center recently released a complete refresh of the Medicare Interactive Pro (MI Pro) online curriculum. This in-depth learning tool is designed to empower any professional to better help their clients, patients, employees, retirees, and others navigate a multitude of Medicare questions.

Medicare Rights Applauds the Introduction of the Bipartisan BENES Act

While most people newly eligible for Medicare are automatically enrolled in Part B—because they are collecting Social Security retirement benefits at age 65—a growing number are not, as they are working later in life and deferring their Social Security benefits. Unlike those who are auto-enrolled in Part B, these individuals must make an active Medicare enrollment choice, taking into consideration specific timelines and existing coverage.

Enrollment, Coverage, and Prescription Drug Affordability Issues Continue to be Challenges for People with Medicare

Today, the Medicare Rights Center released its annual helpline trends report, which outlines the top ongoing challenges facing people with Medicare. The report’s findings are based on thousands of calls to the Medicare Rights’ national consumer helpline and millions of visits to Medicare Interactive, the online Medicare reference tool developed by Medicare Rights.

New Enrollment Period Now Available for People with Medicare Advantage

Older adults and people with disabilities who are currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan have until March 31 to switch to another MA plan or to Original Medicare with or without a stand-alone prescription drug plan (Part D) during the new Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP).

The MA OEP occurs each year from January 1 through March 31, and it is only available to people who have a Medicare Advantage plan. One change can be made during this period, which will take effect the first of the month following the month you enroll. For example, if you switch to a new Medicare Advantage Plan in February, your new coverage begins March 1.

6 Things to Know About Medicare Fall Open Enrollment

Fall Open Enrollment is the time of year from October 15 through December 7 when you can change your Medicare coverage. You can join a new Medicare Advantage Plan or stand-alone prescription drug plan (Part D) plan. You can also switch between Original Medicare with or without a Part D plan and Medicare Advantage

Here are six things to keep in mind while you are choosing your Medicare coverage:

Responding to Advocates, CMS Makes Needed Changes to the 2019 Medicare & You Handbook

This summer, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that oversees the Medicare program, released a draft version of the annual “Medicare & You” Handbook that contained several glaring inaccuracies that alarmed advocates, including Medicare Rights. The agency recently released the final 2019 Handbook, which addresses many of our concerns.

The handbook is an official government publication that is designed to provide people with Medicare with information about the Medicare program, their choices for obtaining coverage, and the benefits they can expect. Distributed to millions of homes each year, it is one of CMS’s most widely accessed resources among people with Medicare.