Eligibility

Who’s eligible for Medicare?

Our Medicare Advantage Plans are available to anyone who qualifies for Original Medicare. Most people are eligible to receive Medicare benefits if they meet one of the following requirements:

• are at least 65 years old
• are under 65 years old and living with a disability
• are any age with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant, sometimes called ESRD)

To be eligible for Medicare, an individual must also be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. Legal residents must have lived in the U.S. for at least 5 years before applying for Medicare.

If you also qualify for Apple Health (Medicaid), you may be eligible for our Medicare Advantage Dual Plan.

If you have questions about eligibility and which plan is right for you, talk to one of our experts. We’re here to help you find coverage that fits your needs. Our local experts are available at 1-800-944-1247 (TTY : 711).

Not currently eligible for Medicare? You may qualify for a different kind of health plan, like our Cascade Select Plan.

I’m new to Medicare. When can I apply?

➜ Initial Enrollment Period (IEP)

This is when most people enroll in Medicare.

• Turning 65? You can enroll during the seven months surrounding your birthday. This includes your birthday month, plus the three months before and three months after your birthday.
• Eligible due to disability? You can enroll during the seven months surrounding your 25th month of receiving disability benefits.

Note: If you do not sign up for Medicare when you first become eligible, you may be subject to a Part B late enrollment penalty once you do sign up for coverage.

➜ General Election Period (GEP)

• The GEP occurs every year from January 1 to March 31. If you did not sign up for Medicare during your Initial Enrollment Period, you can enroll during the GEP. You may be charged a higher premium or late enrollment penalties if you wait until the GEP to enroll in Original Medicare.
• After you enroll in Medicare Parts A and/or B, you may choose to apply for additional coverage. If you enroll in both Part A and Part B, you may choose to join a Medicare Advantage (Part C) or Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) plan between April 1 and June 30 of the same year. You can also enroll in a Part D plan if you only enroll in Medicare Part B during the General Election Period.

I’m already enrolled in Medicare. When can I change my plan?

➜ Annual Enrollment Period (AEP)

• Medicare members may only change coverage during the AEP, between October 15 and December 7 every year.
• During the AEP, you can change your coverage with no restrictions (e.g., add or remove prescription drug coverage or join a different plan).

➜ Special Enrollment Period (SEP)

• Certain life-changing circumstances could create the need to change coverage (e.g., if you retire, no longer have coverage through an employer, move out of the service area, or qualify for state medical assistance). Rules about when you can make changes and the type of changes you can make are different for each SEP.
• If you qualify to change coverage, you can return to Original Medicare, add Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) coverage, or join a Medicare Advantage plan.

Learn More and Apply

It’s easy to enroll in one of our Medicare Advantage plans by phone, online, or by mail. Our Medicare Experts are also available to Enroll to get complete coverage under one card, plus extra benefits, at little to no extra cost per month.
ENROLLMENT