Updated May 25, 2015.
If you’re moving and you have a Medicare Part D health plan, you may need to do more than just change your address with Medicare. Medicare Part D plans have specific geographic service areas. If you move out of your plan’s service area, you’ll have to change plans.
Check with the insurance company that provides your Medicare Part D plan to see if your new address falls within the plan’s service area.
If it does, you won’t need to change health plans. Use checklist A.
If your new address isn’t within your current Medicare Part D plan’s service area, you’ll have to change plans. Use checklist B.
If Medicare Part D plan choices are available at your new address that weren’t available at your old address, your move makes you eligible for a special enrollment period. This means you can change Medicare Part D plans during a brief window of time surrounding your move even though your new address is still within your current plan’s service area. If you’re happy with your current plan, you can keep it. If you’re unhappy with your current plan, now’s your chance to ditch it and switch to another plan. If you decide to switch, use checklist B.
Checklist A–You’re staying within your current Medicare Part D plan’s service area:
- Notify the Social Security Administration of your change of address.
- Notify the insurance company that provides your Medicare Part D plan of your address change.
- Notify your pharmacy of your change of address.
- Notify your physician of your change of address.
Checklist B–You’re relocating outside of your Medicare Part D plan’s service area or switching to a Medicare Part D plan that wasn’t an option at your old address:
- Notify the Social Security Administration of your change of address.
- Choose a new Medicare Part D plan with a service area that includes your new address. The Medicare Plan Finder will show you which plans are available in your new area.
- Refill any prescriptions you may need before you move. This will give you time to get established before you need any routine prescriptions refilled.
- If you use a mail-order pharmacy or an automatic-refill service, notify the pharmacy that you’ll be moving and changing prescription drug plans. The pharmacy will need your address change, the date of your move, and the date of your prescription drug plan change.
- Select a pharmacy in your new neighborhood that’s in-network with your new Medicare Part D plan.
- Ask the pharmacist at your new pharmacy to transfer current prescriptions from your old pharmacy to your new pharmacy. He or she will need the name and location of your old pharmacy and the names of the medications you want transferred. If you bring your medication bottles to your new pharmacy when you request this, the bottle labels will have all of the information your pharmacist will need.
- Make sure your new pharmacist is aware of your drug allergies.
- If you’re moving far away and need to choose a new primary care physician, tell your old primary care physician that you’re moving. Request that he or she transfer your medical records to your new primary care physician’s office. Better yet, get copies of your medical records before you move and hand-deliver them to your new primary care physician during or just before your first appointment.
- Schedule a “get acquainted” appointment with your new primary care doctor as soon as possible after your move.
More Resources
Learn more about how moving affects your Medicare in “What to Do about Medicare When You Move.”
If need more information, you can call Medicare’s help line at 1-800-MEDICARE. You can also get help from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program.
About.com has an entire site about moving. You'll find information and ideas to help you plan your move and to make your move easier. Check it out at http://moving.D106/.
Source:
Signing Up for Parts C and D, http://www.medicare.gov/navigation/medicare-basics/sign-up-part-c-and-part-d.aspx#changelive. Accessed July 15, 2013.