On October 13, 2021

Navigating Medicare’s annual enrollment

By Kevin Theissen

How long has it been since you’ve reviewed your Medicare policy? With open enrollment fast approaching, there are a few questions you may want to ask yourself before you renew, add, drop or switch coverage.

Medicare’s annual open enrollment period begins Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 7. During this time, current Medicare beneficiaries have the option to adjust their coverage for the coming year. Any changes to your plan will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2022.

Have you switched doctors, or is your doctor no longer accepting your current plan? Or maybe your prescription drug needs have changed, and your Medicare plan doesn’t cover everything you need. Maybe you’re paying too much for your coverage and need to make adjustments. This is an opportunity to reassess your current coverage and identify potential areas for improvement.

Before open enrollment begins, you’ll receive a report outlining your current coverage. Review your elections carefully, especially if you haven’t updated coverage in the last few years. Medicare offers a plan finder tool to help compare other offerings if you’re considering making a switch.

Your health insurance coverage in retirement should work to protect your financial wellbeing.

Reviewing your Medicare coverage is an important part of your financial and insurance strategy. If you have any questions or need help navigating this process, you may want to contact a qualified and experienced financial advisor.

Kevin Theissen is the owner of HWC Financial in Ludlow.

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

House changes since 1944

September 18, 2024
As sometimes happens when you are sitting next to a stranger for a period of time a conversation begins. Recently a woman asked me if I was from Rutland. I said that I was and then she told me that she had lived in Proctor all of her life. I followed by commenting that not…

Signs of a season changing

September 18, 2024
I don’t Spartan, but I have always felt that the race itself constitutes the beginning of the fall season. Although this year, with the hot summer temperatures, I’m not really sure how that fits in to any season except “Vermont.” But at the same time, it’s my signal to kick in the dryland training, that…

Fake it till you make it 

September 18, 2024
I was sitting in an auditorium last spring watching my son graduate from high school when a funny moment occurred.  The class valedictorian was giving his speech and at a certain point mentioned the various personalities of his classmates and how they were a microcosm of society. “Some of my classmates are going to be…

Late blooming flowers feed native bees

September 18, 2024
By Emily Haynes As the height-of-summer floral abundance fades, goldenrods and asters fill the landscape with hits of yellow, purple, pink, and white. Beyond the beauty they provide, these late bloomers are a critical food source for several native species of wild bees. During late summer and fall, many specialist wild bees are active, said…