Medicare Plans
Medicare Open Enrollment in Columbus OH
Medicare open enrollment in Columbus OH, often called AEP, is the annual stretch when almost anyone on Medicare can change plans without needing a special reason. It runs October 15 through December 7, and whatever you pick takes effect January 1.
It's also prime season for mailers, TV spots, and cold calls. Our advice: tune out the noise, look at your own drug list and doctors, and make one clear-headed decision.
- Runs October 15 through December 7 every year
- Any change takes effect January 1
- Recheck your drug list and your provider network
- Free plan reviews for Franklin County residents
What's allowed
Changes on the table during open enrollment
- Move from Original Medicare into a Medicare Advantage plan
- Move from a Medicare Advantage plan back to Original Medicare
- Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another
- Join, drop, or swap a standalone Part D drug plan
Medigap plays by different rules
Medicare Supplement plans sit outside AEP entirely. In Ohio you can apply for a Medigap plan any time, but once your one-time open enrollment window closes, carriers can ask health questions.
Prepare
A focused review beats an endless comparison
- 1
Open your Annual Notice of Change
Your carrier mails it every September. Next year's premium, copays, drug tiers, and network changes are all laid out there.
- 2
Refresh your prescription list
Dosages shift, new drugs get added. Bring the current version. It drives more of your total cost than almost anything else.
- 3
Recheck your doctors and hospital
Compare OhioHealth Riverside Methodist, Mount Carmel, or your primary care clinic against next year's directory, not this year's.
- 4
Decide before Thanksgiving
December 7 doesn't move. Applications filed in the final stretch leave no room to fix a mistake.
Other windows
What if you miss December 7
Advantage members get one more shot from January 1 to March 31 to make a single change, either to a different Advantage plan or back to Original Medicare with a Part D plan attached. Outside of that, you'd need a Special Enrollment Period from a qualifying event, like moving out of a plan's coverage area or losing employer insurance.
Brand new to Medicare? Your Initial Enrollment Period around turning 65 applies instead. Not sure which situation fits you? Read up on switching your plan.
No cost, no pressure
Book your free open enrollment review
We meet with Columbus OH clients every fall, whether or not a change ends up making sense this year.