New Kaiser Resources Look At Medicare Open Enrollment for 2018

Three new resources from the Kaiser Family Foundation provide the latest information about Medicare Advantage plans and Part D stand-alone drug plans during the Medicare open enrollment period, as well as answers to commonly asked questions about Medicare. The annual enrollment period, which begins October 15 and runs through December 7, gives Medicare’s nearly 60 million beneficiaries the opportunity to choose or change Part D drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans, as well as move between traditional Medicare and a Medicare Advantage plan. The new resources include:

• A first look at Medicare Advantage plans available for 2018 that describes changes in the availability and beneficiaries’ access to the private Medicare plans, as well as changes in the insurers offering plans;
•  A first look at the 2018 marketplace for stand-alone Part D drug plans, including national and regional information about plan availability, premiums, cost sharing, and benefit design, and comparisons of the top 10 stand-alone drug plans;
•  A searchable online archive of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Medicare open enrollment period for consumers. The FAQs cover a range of topics related to Medicare enrollment, including Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap supplemental insurance, and more.

In addition, the Foundation posted updated fact sheets on Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D.

Filling the need for trusted information on national health issues, the Kaiser Family Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Menlo Park, California.