A Special Enrollment Period (SEP) is available nationwide to residents of all states, tribes, territories, and the District of Columbia effective March 1, 2020.
The SEP is available for four full calendar months (through June 30, 2020).
Beneficiaries can contact 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with any questions. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. They can submit their enrollment request through 1-800-MEDICARE, their agent/broker, or by contacting the Medicare health or prescription drug plan directly.
Medicare Advantage plans must provide coverage for COVID-19 diagnostic testing, including the associated cost of the visit in order to receive testing. Coverage must be provided at no cost to the beneficiary.
CMS is temporarily relaxing enforcement of rules that prevent MA plans from changing benefits mid-year in connection with the COVID outbreak, and encourages MA plans to, among other things, expand benefits, add additional benefits, and institute “more generous cost-sharing” as long as such measures are “provided uniformly to all similarly situated enrollees.”
For more information:
Questions and Answers on the Medicare Managed Care Eligibility and Enrollment webpage: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Eligibility-and
Questions and Answers on the Medicare Prescription Drug Eligibility and Enrollment webpage: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Eligibility-and-Enrollment/MedicarePresDrugEligEnrol/index
