The deadline for Medicare D enrollment is slowly approaching. Carol McCrery, Director of the Strom Center, urges people to review their plans prior to the Dec. 7th deadline to make sure they are locked in to the plan they want.
“I just have to really caution people; if they do not come in and review their plans, and their plans change from this year to the next year, they’re stuck with the plan they’re in for the entirety of the year,” she said.
McCrery says there are around 25 plans for Medicare patients to choose from. Enrolling at the right time is vital to avoiding costly penalties.
“Right now for Medicare D, if people could have been in a Medicare D program when it first started in 2016, if they were 65 and they didn’t get in, they could have up to an $80 per month penalty on top of their Medicare D premium. There’s a percentage that is attached to those premiums if you’re a late enrollee, and those are lifetime,” McCrery said.
The penalties that one might incur aren’t just a one-time payment. Those payments will stick with Medicare patients for the rest of the lives, so it is important to find the right plan and sign up on time. For more information on Medicare, contact the Strom Center at 734-5677 or email them at [email protected]
written by Jackson Kane
