In most cases, you will only be able to change your Medicare private prescription drug plan once a year during the Annual Coordinated Election Period, which is between November 15 and December 31. If you make a change during this time, your new coverage will begin January 1. (You can change plans as many times as you need during the ACEP with your last choice taking effect January 1. However, to avoid enrollment problems, it is best to make as few changes as possible.)

You may also be able to change plans during a Special Enrollment Period if any of the following events takes place:

• You have Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program or receive Extra Help.
• You lose Extra Help.
• You move out of your plan's service area.
• You are admitted into or reside in a qualifying institution.
• You choose to change your employer, retiree, or union prescription drug coverage for any reason.
• You disenroll from your Medicare private health plan (HMO, PPO) and go back to Original Medicare if you joined the plan when you first qualified for Medicare based on age and want to disenroll within the first year you joined the plan.
• Your Medicare prescription drug plan stops offering coverage, fails to provide benefits on a timely basis, or misled you about what benefits you would get.
• You receive inadequate information about whether your existing prescription drug coverage is comparable to Medicare's.
• You enroll or fail to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan because of a federal employee’s error.
• You enroll in an All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) program.
• You become eligible for a Special Needs Plan (SNP).

Part D Special Enrollment Period (SEP) Chart

A Medicare prescription drug plan can change the drugs it covers (its formulary) at any time. However, you do not have the right to a Special Enrollment Period if your plan stops covering a drug you need. Your drug should continue to be covered until the end of the calendar year.

For more information on what to do if the drug you need is not covered by your plan, click on the link in the GO TO box.

To switch plans, you should enroll in your new plan without disenrolling from your old plan. Enroll early during an enrollment period to make sure that your new coverage starts when it should. It is best to enroll into your new plan by calling 800-MEDICARE, rather than the new plan. You will be automatically disenrolled from your previous Medicare private drug plan when your new coverage starts.

Note: You can change your Medicare prescription drug plan once a month if you have Extra Help or are in a nursing home.