Due to the extent of the record-breaking storms that ravaged much of Texas in February of this year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has extended the ongoing Medicare Special Enrollment Period (SEP) through July of 2021. The SEP extension is applicable statewide and will allow those who may have missed their Medicare Advantage (MA) and prescription drug plan (PDP) enrollment deadlines to apply for or update their coverage without penalty.
FEMA Special Enrollment Periods
The current FEMA SEP is known as Active Disaster 4586 and spans all of Texas. This SEP was created in direct response to the winter storms faced by families across Texas from Feb. 11 to 17, 2021. The SEP will remain open until July 31, 2021.
SEPs are time periods outside of typical Medicare enrollment windows in which beneficiaries can apply for MA or PDP coverage without facing penalties. SEPs are usually offered on a case-by-case basis and may apply when a beneficiary’s address changes, they lose their current coverage, or they become eligible for other coverage. FEMA also has the power to create SEPs based on geographical locations that may be facing natural disasters or other unforeseen, widespread catastrophes.
February Storms
In February 2021, three major winter storms raged across Texas, leaving much of the state without power for days, weeks, and in some cases, months. The first of which, lasting from Feb. 11 to 12, caused freezing drizzle to create black ice on many roadways, which led to a monumental 130+ car pileup on I-35 in Fort Worth that took the lives of six Texans and injured many more. The final two storms, spanning Feb. 14 through 17, saw nearly 235 consecutive hours of below-freezing temperatures in DFW. The only reprieve from the biting cold came on Feb. 13 when the temperature climbed to 33 degrees Fahrenheit.
Many individuals living in the northern parts of the United States are used to storms of this magnitude; however, Texas homes and facilities are equipped to handle blistering temperatures well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit during much of the summer months. The state has no insulated plumbing and employs only 700 snowplows, which do little to clear the roads in the many smaller towns that dot Texas’ 683,533 miles of roadway. This led to bursting pipes and mass power outages that left four million without power, running water, or heat.
Agents
We hope this information on the current FEMA SEP extension is helpful to you.
Empower Brokerage is dedicated to helping you educate your clients on the insurance they need and staying on top of their health. Whether it’s through webinar training, one-on-one calls, seminars, or marketing plans. We want you to be successful. Give us a call if you have any questions 888-539-1633.
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Originally from the snow-capped Rockies, Macee moved to Texas in 2016 to pursue an undergraduate degree in Strategic Communication. She currently serves as a writer and editor for Empower Brokerage, as well as the marketing manager for Preferred Senior Advisors. Macee is also working on her Master’s degree in management, and hopes to inspire others with her passion for telling stories through varied digital and print marketing efforts.
