Almost 80 percent of U.S. Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older don't know the last day for open enrollment to make changes in their insurance plan is Dec. 7.
Medicare beneficiaries have from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 to make changes in their prescription drug or Medicare Advantage coverage -- if they carry these private insurance plans for prescriptions or a Medicare Advantage Plan -- a type of Medicare health plan offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare to provide a senior with all Part A and Part B benefits.
If enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, Medicare services are covered through the plan and aren't paid for under traditional Medicare. Most Medicare Advantage Plans offer prescription drug coverage.
The survey, by HealthPocket, a free website that compares and ranks all health plans found many mistakenly think they have until the end of the year to make changes to their plans.
Thirty-three percent said the ending date for making changes to their insurance plans was Dec. 31, 26 percent said Dec. 1; 19 percent said Dec. 15; and 22 percent answered correctly that it is Dec. 7.
From Oct, 15 to Dec. 7, Medicare enrollees can change their coverage, including moving from one Medicare Advantage or Part D prescription drug plan to another. However, this year's Medicare annual enrollment also overlaps with the highly publicized open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act's Marketplaces, which began Oct. 1 and ends March 31.
"With so much public attention on Healthcare.gov, seniors may be getting lost in the shuffle," Steve Zaleznick, executive director for Consumer Strategy and Development of HealthPocket, said in a statement. "Our poll, issued a month before the close of open enrollment, reveals a great deal of confusion about how much time people have to make these important insurance decisions. It should serve as a call to action for everyone doing outreach to Medicare enrollees."
The InfoPoll was conducted Oct. 30 to Nov. 5 and reflects 731 responses. No margin of error was provided.
