Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Those affected by recent flooding have extra time to enroll in a plan

BATON ROUGE, La. –  Louisiana residents who were eligible but unable to enroll in a Medicare plan because of May’s flooding now have extra time, per updated guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The Medicare Special Enrollment Period (SEP) is available through Sept. 30, 2021. To be eligible for the SEP, an individual must have been eligible to enroll in a Medicare plan during the week of May 17, 2021, but was unable to do so because of the flooding. This includes those whose initial eligibility period ended in May 2021. It also includes those who were eligible because of February’s winter storms to enroll during the emergency SEP that ended June 30, but were unable to do so because of the flooding.

The SEP is also available to people who weren’t affected, but rely on friends or family for making healthcare decisions who were affected.

Louisiana residents who want more details about the SEP or information about Blue Cross Medicare Advantage plans can call 1-800-232-4967 (TTY 711), 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., 7 days a week or visit www.bcbsla.com/blueadvantage.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying nonprofit health insurer with offices in every major region to serve our customers. We have been recognized for the past three years as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We are a private mutual company, owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at www.bcbsla.com or talk to us on social media.