There are almost too many things to remember when you change residences. This month’s article will help with how to manage your Medicare coverage before, during and after a move. The Medicare Information Office provides a checklist of items to complete, helping your move be free from additional aggravation and frustration.
Moving into or out of Alaska
If you have Original Medicare (Parts A and B), you will not need to make changes to your Medicare when moving within the U.S. since Original Medicare does not have provider networks, so you can visit any doctor or facility in the country that accepts Medicare. If you have a supplemental policy known as a Medigap, you do not need to change your plan; contact the plan to see if the premium will change and note that enrollment rules vary by state.
Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans and prescription drug (Part D) plans, on the other hand, have coverage areas, so when moving into or out of Alaska, you will likely need to switch plans. You will have a Special Enrollment Period, or SEP, if you move out of your plan’s service area. To ensure you have coverage when you settle in your new place of residence, you should notify your plan before you change residences and select your new plan if applicable.
Moving out of the U.S.
Decisions about Medicare enrollment can be more complicated if you move outside the U.S. where Medicare will not cover medical costs. If you qualify for premium-free Part A (most people do), it is usually best to enroll in Part A or to keep it if you already have it. On the other hand, most people owe a Part B monthly premium. If you enroll in or keep Part B, then you owe a premium for coverage you cannot use while abroad. However, if you do not enroll in or keep Part B, you may have a late enrollment penalty and a gap in coverage when you return from residing abroad. Do note that this is not the case if you or your spouse work outside the U.S. for a company that provides you with health insurance, or work in a country with a national health system. In these cases, you will qualify for an SEP to enroll in Part B without penalty.
Lower-income assistance programs
Medicare Savings Program (MSP) eligibility and enrollment are state-specific, so your MSP will not follow you if you move into or out of Alaska. You will need to disenroll from your MSP and see if you are eligible for an MSP in the state to which you are moving. Even when moving to a new state, your Extra Help benefits will most likely not be affected, as eligibility requirements do not differ by state. It is important to note, however, that if you were automatically enrolled in Extra Help because you had Medicaid or an MSP, but then you lose Medicaid coverage or the MSP because of your move to a different state, you will need to actively enroll in Extra Help to keep those benefits.
Check the checklist
-Contact the Social Security Administration to update your address. Call (800) 772-1213 or create an online account (ssa.gov/myaccount).
-Contact the post office and file a change of address form.
-Contact your prescription insurance company and give them your new address and moving date. Ask how this will impact your coverage or if coverage will terminate. You have two months (after moving into your new residence) to change plans.
-Contact your Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage Plan and give them your new address and moving date. Ask how this will impact your coverage or if your coverage will terminate.
-Contact ALL current insurance companies and update your address. This includes car, homeowner’s, etc. Ask how this will impact your coverage.
-Before you move, contact your medical providers for copies of your medical records.
-Ask your medical providers for a referral to providers in your new area or access provider information at http://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/
-Contact providers in your new service area.
-Confirm that they take Medicare (with or without assignment.)
-Ask exactly what they will need for your first appointment.
-If moving out of Alaska, contact your new State’s health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). These are the people who understand the nuances of how Medicare works in your new state. Or go to www.shiphelp.org and use the drop box menu.
For any Medicare (or Medicaid) related questions, please feel free to contact the State of Alaska Medicare Information Office at (800) 478-6065 or (907) 269-3680; our office is also known as the State health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), and the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers (MIPPA) program. If you are part of an agency or organization that assists Seniors with medical resources, consider networking with the Medicare Information Office. Call us to inquire about our Ambassador program.
Sean McPhilamy is a volunteer and Certified Medicare Counselor for the Alaska Medicare Information Office.
