Special Enrollment Period for Medicare recipients affected by Helene’s damage

North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey today announced that Medicare beneficiaries impacted by Hurricane Helene have been granted an extended Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to sign up for Medicare health and prescription drug coverage.

This extended period gives beneficiaries extra time to make changes to their Medicare coverage due to the unforeseen circumstances that accompany a natural disaster.

"Medicare beneficiaries devastated by Helene may be unable to complete their enrollment process by the Dec. 7 deadline," Commissioner Causey said. "This Special Enrollment Period allows people in affected areas the additional time they need to make sure they have the proper Medicare coverage in 2025."

The regular 2025 Medicare Open Enrollment period runs Oct. 15 - Dec.7 with coverage to take effect Jan. 1, 2025. This SEP allows anyone who missed an election period to make changes for the duration of the disaster plus an additional two months following the declared end date of the disaster. Coverage will begin a month after an enrollment is completed.

The SEP is in effect for the 25 North Carolina counties declared disaster areas as a result of Tropical Storm Helene: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey.

The extension applies to two sets of residents: Those who live in the disaster zones as well as others outside the 25 counties who assist or are assisted by the storm victims.

About SHIIP

The Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) is a free N.C. Department of Insurance health benefits counseling service for Medicare beneficiaries and their families or caregivers. SHIIP's mission is to educate, advocate, counsel and empower people to make informed decisions about Medicare or their prescription drug plan.

For more information, call 855-408-1212 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Related Topics:

• NCDOI

  NC Department of Insurance Press Release

• Disaster

  Disaster-related press release

• SHIIP

  Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) Press Release