FAQ Friday: 2019 drug plans; when do they come out and when can I change?
b'It\\u2019s August and many of you have hit the dreaded Donut Hole either recently or within the last couple months. People have been asking the questions, \\u201cWhen can I change my drug plan?\\u201d or \\u201cWhen do the 2019 Part D drug plans come out?\\u201d This is how the dates work:\\n\\u2022\\tMedicare has what is called an Annual Election Period or Annual Enrollment Period. The official date that you can change your drug plan is October 15th through December 7th. However, the change will not take effect until January 1st 2019. \\nHere is some information that some of you may not know. The new drug plans are actually released on October 1st. You can either go to Medicare\\u2019s website, enter in your medications and Medicare will sort which Part D drug plan is the most cost-effective for you or you can speak with an agent and they can walk you through it. Now keep in mind, you will be on your drug plan for the remainder of 2018 because your new drug plan will not take effect until January 1st 2019.'