How to Change Your Address With Medicare When You Move

Who to contact to change your Medicare address

Even though it feels like a Medicare task, you do not call Medicare to update your mailing address. The Social Security Administration (SSA) manages the personal records tied to your Medicare enrollment, so SSA is who you notify when you move.

This is true even if you are not yet receiving Social Security retirement benefits. As long as you have Medicare, SSA is the office that keeps your address on file.

You do not need to do anything separate for your Social Security card. There is no address printed on the card, so it is not necessary to report a move to update the card itself.

Three ways to report your new address

If you get Social Security or are enrolled in Medicare, you can update your U.S. mailing address yourself. Choose whichever method is easiest for you:

• Online: Sign in to your personal my Social Security account at ssa.gov and update your address in the My Profile / contact information section. This is usually the quickest option.
• By phone: Call Social Security toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Lines are busiest early in the week and early in the month.
• In person: Visit a local Social Security office. It is a good idea to call ahead, as many offices ask you to schedule an appointment.

Moving triggers a Special Enrollment Period for your plan

Updating your address is only one part of moving. A move can also give you a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) — a window outside the usual fall enrollment season when you are allowed to change your Medicare Advantage (Part C) or Part D drug plan.

You qualify for this SEP in a few common situations: you move to a new address that is outside your current plan's service area, you move to an address still inside your service area but with new plan options available, you move back to the U.S. after living abroad, or you move into, live in, or move out of an institution such as a nursing home or rehabilitation hospital.

If you move outside your plan's service area, you can switch to a new Medicare Advantage or drug plan or return to Original Medicare. If you do not choose a new plan, you will be disenrolled from the old one and moved to Original Medicare.

How long you have to switch plans

The length of your Special Enrollment Period depends on when you tell your plan about the move. Telling your plan early gives you the most time, so it pays to notify them as soon as you know your new address.

• If you tell your plan BEFORE you move: your SEP begins the month before you move and continues for 2 full months after you move.
• If you tell your plan AFTER you move: your SEP begins the month you notify the plan, plus 2 more full months.
• If you move back to the U.S. after living outside the country: you can join a Medicare Advantage or drug plan for 2 full months after the month you move back.
• If you live in or recently moved out of an institution (such as a nursing home or rehab hospital): you can join, switch, or drop a plan for as long as you live there, plus 2 full months after you move out.

What changes — and what stays the same — for your coverage and costs

Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) is not tied to a service area. It follows you anywhere in the U.S. and its territories, so moving does not change your Original Medicare coverage. Only Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are built around a local service area.

Your Part B premium also does not change because of where you live. The standard Part B premium is set nationally and is $202.90 per month in 2026, with a $283 annual deductible. Moving to a different state does not raise or lower that standard premium.

Part D drug coverage is different. Plan availability, premiums, formularies, and pharmacy networks vary by region, so the specific plans and prices at your new address may differ from what you had before. The 2026 national base beneficiary premium used in Part D calculations is $38.99 per month, but the premium of any individual plan you choose can be higher or lower.

Finding new plans at your new address

Once you know your new ZIP code, you can compare the Medicare Advantage and Part D plans available there using the official Plan Finder at Medicare.gov. Enter your new address, your medications, and your preferred pharmacies to see what each plan would cost you.

Report your move to Social Security and notify your plan as early as you can. Acting before or right around your move date gives you the longest possible Special Enrollment Period and reduces the chance of a gap in your Advantage or drug coverage.