MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society, has issued a reminder that open enrollment to buy, change, or renew a qualified health plan for 2019 will end Dec. 15 for health care starting on Jan. 1, 2019.
Remember that Medicaid enrollment is year-round, and Medicaid-eligible Marylanders may start their coverage immediately. Marylanders who are enrolled in Medicaid must renew their Medicaid coverage once a year through the Maryland Health Connection. For those who want to enroll in a Medicare plan or change their Medicare coverage, Medicare Open Enrollment will continue through Dec. 15.
For additional Medicare plan information, individuals may call 1-800-MEDICARE or visit www.medicare.gov. Individuals do not need to renew their coverage if they are satisfied with their current plans, and those plans are still offered through Medicare.
Gene Ransom, chief executive officer of MedChi, stressed the importance of finding the best and most appropriate health care plan.
“It is important to consider the factors surrounding the basic health care plans. You should make sure your family physicians are in-network; if not, it can cost you extra money,” Ransom said. “If you or a family member takes a prescription medication, you should check the list of plan-approved drugs. When considering a health care plan, it is also good to consider out of pocket costs like co-pays and deductibles so you have an accurate idea of overall costs. It is also important to read the plan details thoroughly so you don’t miss any important information in the fine print.”
For more information about open enrollment, call 1-800-492-1056 x 3311 (toll-free).
Josh Kurtz
Founding editor
Founding Editor Josh Kurtz is a veteran chronicler of Maryland politics and government. He began covering the State House in 1995 for The Gazette newspapers, and has been writing about state and local politics ever since. He was an editor at Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper, for eight years, and for eight years was the editor of E&E Daily, which covers energy and environmental policy on Capitol Hill. For 6 1/2 years Kurtz wrote a weekly column on state politics for Center Maryland and has written for several other Maryland publications as well. Kurtz regularly gives speeches and appears on TV and radio shows to discuss Maryland politics.
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