Can I Enroll in a New Medicare Plan After Moving?
Key Takeaways
- Moving might qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period when you can change your Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, or Medigap coverage.
- It”s also possible to qualify for a SEP when either entering or leaving a long-term care facility as well as when being released from prison.
There’s a lot of preparation that goes into a move, from packing to hiring help to filling out change of address forms. You should definitely have current contact information on your account with the Social Security Administration, so you don’t miss any communications about your benefits. And, if you’re on Medicare, don’t forget to put updating your coverage on your to-do list.
While Original Medicare (Medicare Parts A and B) is administered by the federal government and works the same anywhere in the country, you can choose to enroll in other parts of Medicare that operate differently. Medicare Part D, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), and Medicare Advantage (also known as Medicare Part C) plans are offered by private insurance companies:
- If you’re on Original Medicare, a Part D plan helps to pay for prescription drugs. Coverage details, monthly premiums, and coinsurance costs vary based on the plan you choose.
- People on Original Medicare also have the option to add a Medigap plan that helps with some of the expenses not covered by Parts A and B.
- If you’ve already enrolled in Parts A and B, you can choose to substitute a Medicare Advantage plan. These plans generally include Part D prescription drug coverage and may feature a range of other supplemental benefits, such as coverage for dental, hearing, and vision care.
Plan availability for these private Medicare options depends on where you live, and beneficiaries are often required to use a local provider network to take full advantage of their benefits. That’s why moving can qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to make changes to your Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, or Medigap coverage.
Medicare Special Enrollment Period for Movers
You can take advantage of the SEP when moving under a few different circumstances:
You move to a new address that’s outside of the service area for your current Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D plan.
- If you notify your current insurance carrier in advance, your SEP starts one full month before the month when you move. This window lasts for another two full months after the one when you move.
- If you contact the carrier after your move, the SEP begins that month and continues for another two full months.
- During this period, you can change to a new Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. If you’re currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you also have the option to switch back to Original Medicare.
You move to a new address that’s still in the service area for your current Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, but where you also have new options available.
- If you notify your insurance carrier in advance, your SEP begins one month before the month when you move. This window lasts for another two full months after the one when you move.
- If you contact the carrier after your move, the SEP starts that month and lasts for another two full months.
- During this time, you can switch from one Medicare Advantage or Part D plan to another.
You return to the U.S. after living in another country.
- Your SEP starts the month after you move back to the U.S. and lasts for another two full months.
- If you’re enrolled in Original Medicare, you can choose to join a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare Part D plan at this time.
Moving With a Medigap Plan
If you have a Medigap plan, you can keep that coverage anywhere you move in the U.S. because Medigap plans can be used with any provider that accepts Original Medicare. However, you may also be allowed to switch plans if you move. Be sure to communicate with your insurance carrier because your Medigap options can change based on where you live.
In most states, you have the same selection of 10 standardized Medigap plans, but there can be key differences:
- The premiums for your current plan may change based on your new ZIP code.
- Medigap plans are standardized differently in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin than in the other 47 states, so you could have different plans available if you move into one of these states.
- In certain states, insurance carriers can offer Medicare SELECT policies; these plans require you to see in-network healthcare providers to receive your full benefits.
If you do decide to switch Medigap plans, keep in mind that, after your Initial Enrollment Period (usually the period of three months before and three months after the month you turn 65), insurers in most states are allowed to ask you medical questions. They may adjust your premiums based on medical underwriting, impose coverage waiting periods on certain health conditions, or even deny you coverage.
Still have questions? GoHealth has the answers you need.
Entering or Leaving a Long-Term Care Facility
Moving into an institution such as a skilled nursing facility or a long-term care hospital can qualify you for an SEP. This period starts when you enter the institution and continues up to two full months after the month when you leave. At any point in that window, you can:
- Join a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
- Switch from your current Medicare Advantage or Part D plan to another one.
- Leave your Medicare Advantage plan and switch back to Original Medicare.
- Drop your Part D coverage.
Leaving Prison
You can’t use or enroll in Medicare coverage while incarcerated. According to Medicare rules, that includes being:
- Arrested
- In a jail or prison
- On medical furlough from jail or prison
- Ordered by a court to live in a mental health facility, a halfway house, or home detention
- Confined in any other way under a penal statute or rule
- On supervised release
If you’re already enrolled in Medicare and want coverage in place right away after incarceration, you’ll have to keep paying your monthly premiums for Part B and, if applicable, Part A (Part A premiums are $0 for most people). In that situation, you also have an SEP of two full months after your release to join a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Keep in mind that you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty for Part D if you didn’t enroll in a prescription drug plan within 63 days of signing up for Original Medicare or have equivalent coverage from another source.
As of January 1, 2023, people who miss an enrollment period (such as their Initial Enrollment Period when they turn 65) because they were incarcerated are eligible for an SEP the day after release. You won’t need to pay a late enrollment penalty and can start your coverage the month after you sign up or, in some cases, choose a start date up to six months in the past if you pay the premiums.
You can take some of the stress out of an upcoming move by thinking ahead about any changes to your Medicare coverage. Talk with a licensed insurance agent about your options.