Fran Soistman, the CEO of eHealth, still hopes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will bend the usual Dec. 7 annual enrollment period deadline for consumers signing up for Medicare plans.
The Medicare plan annual enrollment period usually lasts from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 every year.
This year, Medicare Advantage plan menus and Medicare Part D prescription drug plan menus are changing because of tougher Medicare subsidy rules and new drug plan benefits design rules.
Consumers need extra time to cope with the effects of the changes on plan menus, Soistman said in an email interview.
"As anticipated, this year’s Medicare annual enrollment period has been especially busy and, unfortunately, disruptive for beneficiaries," he said.
