Just a few days left for Medicare open enrollment

News outlets are reminding people about Medicare's upcoming deadline.

Examiner: Medicare Open Enrollment Period Almost Over
[S]eniors and persons with disabilities have only days left to enroll in or make changes to their Medicare coverage. Open enrollment, known as the Annual Election Period (AEP) began a month earlier this year, on October 15, and will end three weeks earlier than usual, on December 7. The open enrollment period is when recipients may change their Medicare health plan and/or make changes to Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage (Boruff, 12/2).

Sacramento Bee: Medicare Deadline: Many Still Unaware
The 2010 health reform act mandated the earlier enrollment period to give Medicare recipients more time to weigh their plan options and insurers more time to complete paperwork and get membership cards and other information to beneficiaries. But at least two recent surveys show that many seniors still are unaware of the Wednesday deadline. The latest, from survey firm Opinion Research, showed that just one in five seniors 65 years of age and older with Medicare prescription drug plans were aware that the open enrollment period ends next week (Smith, 12/3).

MSNBC/KTUU: Medicare Prescription Plan Deadline Approaching
If you do not sign up for "Part D" at first eligibility Medicare charges its beneficiaries permanent late-enrollment fees. Alaskans who already have a prescription coverage plan through a health care insurance plan or mors employer-funded retiree plans do not need to sign up for "Part D."  ... Alaskans who receive Medicaid as well as Medicare are exempt from enrollment deadlines (12/2).

Earlier, related story from KHN's Capsules blog: That Other Shopping Spree: Medicare Deadline Looms (Torres, 11/23)