If you qualify for the full premium subsidy for your Medicare prescription drug plan, are enrolled in traditional Medicare, and your current prescription drug plan will not be offered next year, you will be automatically reassigned by Medicare to a new prescription drug plan for coverage in the next year. But you won’t be reassigned automatically if your current plan is terminating and you chose your current plan. In that case, you will have to enroll in a new plan on your own. You can do this between October 15, the first day of the Medicare Open Enrollment period, and the last day in February of the following year, which is the duration of the Special Enrollment Period for people whose plan will not be offered the following year.

Keep in mind that if you qualify for extra help paying for your Medicare prescription drug plan, you have the right to switch drug plans once per quarter for the first three quarters of the year, and during the Medicare Open Enrollment period that runs from October 15 through December 7 each year. You can enroll in any drug plan that you want, but be aware that many plans will require you to pay a premium, even if you qualify for the extra help. In order to avoid paying a premium, you should enroll in a drug plan in your area that is offered at no premium to people receiving the extra help. You can compare your plan options and enroll in a drug plan by going to the Medicare coverage comparison website, a searchable tool on the Medicare.gov website, or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). You can also contact the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) in your state. SHIPs offer local, personalized counseling and assistance to people with Medicare and their families. You can call 877-839-2675 to get the phone number for the SHIP in your state.