Only if it suits you to change

Good question! This might seem familiar if you're used to enrolling for your private insurance every year. But for Medicare, do you need to enroll each year? In a word...

No

You do not need to renew your Medicare plan every year. If you are on Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, or a Medicare Supplement, then your coverage will continue automatically as long as you keep up with your payments.

However, you will want to review your plan each year during the Annual Enrollment Period even if nothing changed with your healthcare needs. This is a great time to make sure that your coverage still meets your needs and budget. During the Annual Enrollment Period, you can explore new plans or make changes to your current plan if necessary. The Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15th to December 7th each year.

Another reason to review your plan details is that sometimes insurance carriers can terminate offering a specific plan at year end. At that point, the carrier will enroll beneficiaries on the terminated in a default plan, which might not suit you.

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, there is also the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period that runs from January 1st to March 31st every year. During this period, you can switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another without penalty.

You should make sure your plan suits your needs, but you do not have to renew your plan every year. If you are looking for more information about your Medicare coverage, you can always contact your Medicare experts at Fair Square Medicare.