Moving to Another State on Medicare
Can you use medicare in another state? We know how much of a pain moving can be, especially if you’ve also been dealing with the stress of buying and selling a home. That’s why we hope that this guide to moving to another state on Medicare makes the transition as clear as possible for you. If you have any questions, you can always call us at 844-528-8688. Keep reading for details you need to know.
can you use medicare in another state
Now that your life is packed up in boxes (or will be soon!) and ready to be shipped out of state, you’ve got one more item that you don’t want to forget to bring with you: your healthcare benefits.
While Original Medicare is a federal program that is exactly the same no matter where you are in the country, most Medicare recipients also have additional coverage that does vary from state to state. This means that for Parts A and B, you don’t have to do a thing to keep your benefits.
But if you have Part C, Part D, or a Medigap Plan, there are some extra steps you need to take to ensure that you don’t lose coverage. This guide will cover all three situations.
Moving When You Have Medicare Part C (Advantage Plan)
If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, your coverage is being provided by a private insurer that offers specific plans in specific areas. An out of state move, therefore, means that you likely will not be able to take your coverage with you.
You’ve got two options in this case:
- You can find a new Medicare Advantage Plan provider in your current area.
- You can enroll in Original Medicare and, optionally, a Medicare Supplement Plan.
If you decide to find a new Advantage Plan, you will have a special election period (SEP) during which you can sign up for a plan outside of the usual open enrollment time. Your new plan is likely to be somewhat different from your old plan in both benefits and cost, so you want to be sure to shop around to find the plan that meets your needs and fits your budget.
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Moving When You Have Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Plan)
Medicare Part D works similarly to Part C when it comes to a move because all Medicare prescription drug plans are tied to a specific state. This means that your Part D benefits and premiums are likely to change with your move, so be prepared for a transition.
You will have a special election period during which you can freely enroll in a new Part D plan. If you don’t enroll during this time, though, you may be without prescription drug coverage. So it’s very important not to procrastinate when it comes to changing your Part D plan—especially if you are on regular medications.
When Should You Notify Your Medicare Providers?
As with most things in life, the sooner the better. Ideally, you should contact your providers before you move, since this will give you the most amount of time to make any necessary changes to your plans.
The date you notify your providers also determines how long your special election period is if you are searching for Medicare Parts C or D. Notifying your provider before you move leaves you with a four month window to change plans, stretching from one month before the month you move until two months after the month you move.
If you wait until after you move, though, you’ll only get three months to search for a new plan, starting with the month that you notify them.
Remember that if you are only on Original Medicare Parts A and B, your benefits travel with you anywhere in the U.S., so you won’t need to notify anyone.
Need Help Moving to Another State On Medicare?
Moving can be incredibly stressful. In the chaos of making sure that you pack up everything, we don’t want you to lose sight of something as important as your healthcare benefits.
While the move is fairly simple if all you’ve got is Original Medicare, more likely than not, you’ve got at least one additional form of coverage that requires special action.
For questions just give us a call 844-528-8688 or reach out to us from our contact us page.
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