Shop and Enroll in Medicare Plans on the Website
Shopping and enrolling in a plan on the website is convenient and saves time. You can shop and enroll in plans any time during the Open Enrollment Period (OEP) or when you have a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). There's no need to schedule an appointment with a licensed benefit advisor*. If you'd like to schedule an appointment, sign in and select Speak to an Expert from the Help and Support drop-down list. You can also call us at your convenience.
To begin shopping for Medicare health plans, complete these steps:
1. Sign into Via Benefits if you haven't done so already.
Note: Before you start shopping for a plan, go to your Profile and make sure your Personal Information is correct. Then select Return to Home.
2. Select Shop for Plans in the Shop & Compare section of the Home page.
3. Provide some required information:
Choose the Medicare-eligible person you're shopping for and verify your shopping ZIP Code.
Review your Reimbursement Funds Offered if applicable.
If funds aren't being offered to you, this option won't appear.
Select Medicare and the type of Medicare coverage you want.
If you're shopping for a Medigap plan, go to the Shop and Enroll in a Medigap Plan section of this article for instructions.
Select why you're shopping.
If you indicate you're losing group coverage, had a life-changing event, or need to enroll outside of the annual Open Enrollment Period, Choose an Enrollment Reason, then select your enrollment reason from the list that appears. Select Save.
You can browse for plans, but you must have an enrollment reason to apply for a plan.
Choose when you need coverage, then select Save and Continue.
Choosing an Enrollment Reason
Reviewing Funding Offered
You can review the following:
Qualification status
Qualified: You have met the requirements set by your former employer that allow you to receive funding. Your qualification requirements are shown inside of the slide-out panel.
Not Yet Qualified: You have not met the requirements set by your former employer that allow you to receive funding. Your qualification requirements are shown inside of the slide-out panel.
Qualification amount and frequency
Dual funded (if multiple funding accounts exist)
Premium reimbursements available per product
Funding source
4. After you select Save and Continue, enter the requested information to help us suggest plans that meet your needs (optional), select Next.
Note: When reviewing your plan results, having entered this information will allow you to see which providers, prescriptions, and pharmacies are covered by the plans.
5. Review the plan results. Plan types are displayed on separate tabs.
If you're currently enrolled in a plan through Via Benefits, your current plan will appear first in the plan results. If you want to keep your current plan and it’s being offered for the current year, you don't have to do anything and your plan will automatically renew for the following year.
Note: You can't be enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan (MAPD) and Prescription Drug plan (PDP) at the same time.
On the results page, you can:
View Reimbursement Funds Offered to see details about your funding (if applicable)
Filter the results by selecting Narrow My Results.
When you have multiple pharmacies on file, you can view plan results based on Pharmacy. Plan results will show estimated costs based on your chosen pharmacy.
Sort by cost estimate or monthly premium.
Select Compare to view and compare up to three plans side-by-side.
Each plan tile shows you an overview of a plan, including:
Monthly premium
Cost Estimate
Provider Coverage (Medicare Advantage only) and Drug Coverage (MAPD and PDP only). These rows show how many of your drugs and doctors the plan covers. Click the + icon to expand a row and see details.
Annual Max., Drug Copay, and Network
Plan Details shows detailed information about benefits, costs, and plan documents.
6. Select Add to Cart to add a plan to your shopping cart. Alternately, some plans have an Apply Now button instead of an Add to Cart button. When you select Apply Now, information displays detailing how to add that plan to your cart.
Note: When you select Add to Cart the button name changes to View Cart.
7. Select View Cart when you're ready to finalize your plan selections.
Note: You will see View Cart on the plan tile, the Shopping List, or when you click the cart icon.
8. Select Start Checkout at the bottom of the Shopping Cart page when you're ready to apply.
9. Select Go to Application.
Note: Applications that indicate Online can be completed entirely on the website. Applications that indicate Phone must be completed by calling us and speaking with a Via Benefits representative.
10. Verify your information, select Next.
11. Provide the requested information on the Application.
Note: Only the first question is required.
12. Read the Disclaimer and select the box to agree to the terms and conditions, select Next.
13. Sign the application and select Submit Application. You’ll get a message stating your application has been submitted.
14. Select Close to continue to your next application or view the status of your application.
Shop for a Medigap Plan
You can enroll in a Medigap plan at any time during the year, but you may to subject to medical underwriting or other limitations based on your circumstances. There's no need to schedule an appointment with a licensed benefit advisor.* If you’d like to schedule an appointment, sign in and select Speak to an Expert from the Help and Support drop-down list. You can also call us at your convenience.
Complete the following steps to shop for a Medigap plan.
1. Sign into Via Benefits if you haven't done so already.
Note: Before you start shopping for a plan, go to your Profile and make sure your Personal Information is correct. Then select Return to Home.
2. Select Shop for Plans in the Shop & Compare section of the Home page.
3. Provide the requested information:
Select the Medicare-eligible person you're shopping for and verify your shopping ZIP Code.
Review your Reimbursement Funds Offered if applicable.
If funds aren't being offered to you, this option won't appear.
Select Medicare.
Select Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap),
Answer the Tobacco Use question.
Answer the Household Plans question, indicating if you anticipate enrolling in the same carrier as someone else in your household.
Indicate why you are shopping today.
I want to browse plans allows you to view plans without an enrollment reason. However, you must have an enrollment reason to apply.
I'm losing group coverage or had a life-changing event allows you to click the Choose an Enrollment Reason button, and then select an applicable enrollment reason from the list that displays.
Note: Typically during the Open Enrollment Period, you should indicate you're losing group coverage or had a life-changing event. Then select I'm currently enrolled in a Medigap plan and would like to review my options. (This applies to Medigap enrollment only.) from the list that appears. Select Save.
Select when you need coverage.
Select Save and Continue.
Choosing an Enrollment Reason
Reviewing Funding Offered
You can review the following:
Qualification status
Qualified means you have opted in to your funding.
Not Yet Qualified means you haven't opted in to your funding.
Qualification amount and frequency
Dual funded (if multiple funding accounts exist)
Premium reimbursements available per product
Funding source
4. If you haven't already, add your Providers, Prescriptions and Pharmacies (optional), select Next. Adding this information helps find plans that meet your needs..
5. Answer questions to help us more accurately estimate your out-of-pocket costs, select Next. (You can skip this page if you'd like.)
6. If you answered the questions, verify your answers and select Next. The available plans appear.
7. Review the Medigap plans.
Note: If you are looking for coverage for the upcoming year and you're happy with your current Medigap plan, you don't have to do anything and your plan will automatically renew for the following year, as long as the plan is still available.
On the results page, you can:
Filter the results by selecting Narrow My Results.
Sort by cost estimate or monthly premium.
View Reimbursement Funds Offered to see details about your funding (if applicable).
Select Compare to view and compare up to three plans side-by-side.
Note: You're also shown additional plan types on the other tabs. You can shop for other plans, but you may be asked additional questions related to those products.
Each plan tile shows you an overview of the plan, including:
Monthly premium
Cost Estimate
Plan Deductible
Part A/B Deductible Information and Medigap Coverage information
Provider Network
Optional Benefits
Plan Details (detailed information about benefits, costs and plan documents)
8. Select Add to Cart to add a plan to your shopping cart. Alternately, some plans have an Apply Now button instead of an Add to Cart button. When you select Apply Now, information displays detailing how to add that plan to your cart.
Note: When you select Add to Cart, the button name changes to View Cart.
If you were browsing for a Medigap plan and want to add it to the cart, you'll see the steps to apply for the plan.
Select Continue and you'll be taken to the Prepare To Shop page.
Select I'm losing group coverage or had a life-changing event.
Select Choose an Enrollment Reason and select a valid reason from the list that displays.
Continue to shop and add this plan to your cart.
9. Select View Cart when you’re ready to finalize your plan selections.
Note: You will see View Cart on the plan tile, the Shopping List, or when you select the cart icon.
10. Select Start Checkout at the bottom of the Shopping Cart page when you’re ready to apply.
11. Select Go to Application.
Applications that indicate Online can be completed entirely on the website. Applications that indicate Phone must be completed by calling us and speaking with a Via Benefits representative.
Note: Some applications require you to go to the insurance carrier’s website to apply.
12. Verify your information, select Next.
13. Provide the requested information on the Application.
14. Read the Disclaimer and select the box to agree to the terms and conditions.
15. Sign the application and select Submit Application. You’ll get a message stating the application has been submitted.
16. Select Close to continue to your next application or view the status of your application.