Medicare and Changes in Residence

Moving can affect your Medicare coverage. If you have Original Medicare, you will not have to make changes when moving out of state or within your own state. Original Medicare does not have provider networks, so you can visit any doctor or facility in the country that accepts Medicare. Although you do not need to make changes to your Original Medicare coverage, you should still contact Social Security to update your information to ensure that you receive important communications.

Medicare Advantage plans and Part D plans, on the other hand, have coverage areas, so you may need to switch plans if you are moving outside of the area served by your current plan. You will have a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) if you move out of your Medicare Advantage plan’s service or Part D plan’s service area or if you move to an area covered by your plan but more plans are available to you there. Note that if you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you can use this SEP to switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another or to return to Original Medicare and select a stand-alone Part D Plan.

If you have any questions or concerns about Medicare coverage, call 256-845-8590 at the Council on Aging, and Lynn Hixon will help you.