‘A big mistake’: Can Medicare enrollment be undone?

Dear Toni: I am 70 years old and am seeking medical care for colon cancer. I enrolled in the Medicare Advantage HMO when I was in Oklahoma and was told that I could transfer to a Houston doctor when I moved on June 15. I made a big mistake in enrolling, because I did not know I could wait until I moved. Now I have discovered that my doctor does not accept this Medicare HMO plan.

I need to enroll in a Medicare supplement, but I do not know how to disenroll from this Medicare Advantage plan and return to Medicare with a Medicare supplement. Time is ticking, because my cancer treatment needs to begin soon. — James, Spring, Texas

Dear James: I know how overwhelming the rules of Medicare can be, especially when you are mentally drained because of a serious illness. Let me explain how the Toni Says Medicare team helps clients disenroll from Medicare Advantage and return to original Medicare.

For certain life events or situations, there is a special enrollment period. This period allows you to join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan. These special situations are:

■ Enrolled in Medicaid.

■ Qualify for extra help for prescription drugs.

■ Moving into a long-term care facility.

■ Loss of creditable prescription drug coverage (such as insurance through your employer).

■ Moving out of area.

When you moved from Oklahoma to the Houston area, you qualified for a special enrollment period, allowing you to disenroll from your Medicare Advantage plan and return to original Medicare. There is a 60-day time limit from the date one moves. Your last day to change is Aug. 15.

When a special enrollment period is granted, the trick to disenrolling from Medicare Advantage is to enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan. Then you are automatically disenrolled from your Advantage plan and re-enrolled in original Medicare.

Then you receive a Medigap/Medicare supplement open enrollment period. James, because you enrolled in Part B beginning June 1, you are within your six-month Medigap/Medicare supplement open enrollment period, which ends Nov. 30. This means you can receive your Medicare supplement without having to answer health underwriting questions.

The Medigap/Medicare supplement open enrollment period lasts for six months beginning the first day of the month in which you are 65 or older and have enrolled in Medicare Part B. Wait past six months from enrolling in Part B, and you must qualify by having to answer medical underwriting questions.

Toni King is an author and columnist on Medicare and health insurance issues. If you have a Medicare question, email info@tonisays.com or call 832-519-8664.