Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period Begins in January

Medicare Advantage health plan members can disenroll and return to Original Medicare from January 1 to February 14, 2011. This period is called the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period (MADP).

Regardless of whether your current Medicare Advantage plan included Part D drug coverage (PDP), you may disenroll during the MADP and will be eligible for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to enroll in Part D prescription drug plan. The effective date of a disenrollment request using MADP will be the first of the month following the date of the request. For example, a request made in January would be effective February 1.

Current Medicare Advantage-only (MA) plan members have three options:

1. Disenroll from the MA-only plan and return to Original Medicare
2. Disenroll from the MA-only plan, return to Original Medicare AND use the SEP to enroll in a PDP plan
3. Request enrollment in a PDP, resulting in automatic disenrollment from the MA-only plan

Current Medicare Advantage with Part D prescription drug (MA-PD) plan members have three options:

1. Disenroll from the MA-PD plan and return to Original Medicare
2. Disenroll from the MA-PD plan, return to Original Medicare AND use the SEP to enroll in a PDP plan
3. Request enrollment in a PDP, resulting in automatic disenrollment from the MA-PD plan

Current Medicare Advantage-only Private Fee-For-Service (PFFS) plan members (PFFS plans without Part D prescription drug coverage) have two options:

1. Disenroll from the PFFS plan and return to Original Medicare
2. Disenroll from the PFFS plan, return to Original Medicare AND use the SEP to enroll in a PDP plan

NOTE: PFFS members must first request disenrollment from the plan before requesting enrollment in a PDP.

If you have questions, call the Health Plan One Medicare expert at 1-800-328-7305.