Page 5 - Cover Letter and Appendices for Irene Ellsworth

How to switch from your current Medicare

prescription drug plan to a different one

(Medicare prescription drug plans are also called stand-
alone drug plans)
1. If you want to switch from one stand-alone drug plan to another during

Medicare’s annual open enrollment period (October 15—December 7), you

can do it in either of the following ways:

A. Call the toll-free number of the plan that you are changing
to. Let the agent know you want to sign up for the coming plan
year.

B Or call (800) MEDICARE and let the representative know the name
of the plan that you want to change to.

2. Your enrollment in the plan that you’re changing to will become effective
on January 1.

3. You do not need to dis-enroll from your current plan. When Medicare is
notified that you have enrolled in a different plan, it will dis-enroll you from

your current plan at the end of the year.

4. In most cases when you change plans you will not need new prescriptions

from your physicians. But you should verify that with

your pharmacy. And even if you change pharmacies in
order to get lower prices, your prescriptions can likely be

transferred (but again, you should verify that).

You will need new prescriptions, though, if you change
your refill schedule — from monthly refills to mail-order refills, or vice-versa.