Eligibility

How does it work?

To be eligible to enroll in one of FHCP's Medicare Advantage plans, you must live in our service area, be entitled to Medicare Part A, and enrolled in Medicare Part B. If you currently pay a premium for Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B, you must continue paying your premium in order to keep your Medicare Part A and/or Medicare Part B. Medicare then pays us to a specific dollar amount to manage your care.

When you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan you will no longer use your Original Medicare card to receive services. Instead, you will utilize your Member ID card that you will receive at the time of enrollment. Your out-of-pockets costs (includes any applicable monthly plan premium and costs paid to receive services) under one of our plans will generally be lower than your expenses would be with Original Medicare.

When can you enroll?


Enrollment Period

When?

Effective Date

Fall Open Enrollment (Annual Election Period)
Time to review health and drug coverage and make changes.

Every year from November 15 to December 31

January 1

Initial Coverage Election Period (ICEP)
The period during which an individual newly eligible for MA may make an initial election to enroll in an MA/MA-PD plan.

Begins 3 months immediately before a beneficiaries first entitlement to both Medicare Part A and Part B and ends on the later of:

  • The last day of the month preceding entitlement to both Part A and part B; or
  • The last day of the beneficiaries Part B initial enrollment period.

First day of next month after plan receives your enrollment request

Medicare Advantage (MA) Open Enrollment
MA-eligible beneficiaries can make one change to their health plan coverage. However, you cannot use this period to add, drop, or change your Medicare prescription drug coverage.
 
Examples:

  • If you are in a MA plan that does not have Medicare prescription drug coverage, you can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan that does not offer drug coverage or go to Original Medicare
  • If you are in Original Medicare Plan and have a Medicare prescription drug plan, you can join a Medicare Advantage Plan that offers Medicare drug coverage
  • If you are in an MA plan that offers Medicare drug coverage, you can leave and join Original Medicare Plan and a Medicare prescription drug plan

Every year from January 1 to March 31

First day of next month after plan receives your enrollment request

Special Enrollment Periods for limited special exceptions, such as:

  • You have a change in residence
  • You have Medicaid
  • You are eligible for extra help with Medicare prescriptions
  • You live in an institution (such as a nursing home)

Determined by exception.

Generally, first day of next month after plan receives your enrollment request