Medicare-Related Enrollment Dates and Guidelines
Initial Enrollment Period (IEP):
- It lasts seven months—Three months before you turn 65, the month of your birthday, and three months after. During this period, you may enroll in Original Medicare A & B and choose either a PDP or a MA/MAPD plan.
Between: October 15- December 7 (Annual Enrollment Period | AEP)
- Consumers can change, drop, and select either a new PDP or an MA/MAPD for the coming year—starting January 1st.
Between January 1–March 31 (Open Enrollment Period | OEP)
- If you are unhappy with your MA/MAPD plan, you are allowed to make one switch to a new MA/MAPD plan.
Special Enrollment Period (SEP):
There are certain circumstances which include:
- Plan leaves service area.
- Beneficiary moves out of service area.
- Dual Eligible (Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries)
- Beneficiaries are eligible for Extra Help.
- Beneficiaries who retire and/or lose employer coverage.
- Beneficiaries diagnosed with a qualifying disability or chronic health condition.
Between December 8 - November 30 (5-Star Enrollment SEP):
- Runs December 8th—November 30th. If there is a 5-Star plan in your service area, you may switch anytime during Enrollment.
Medicare Supplement Enrollment Period
- The best time to buy a Medigap policy is during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which is the six-month period that begins on the first day of the month in which you turn 65 or older and have enrolled in Part B. (Some states have additional Open Enrollment Periods.) After this enrollment period, you may not be able to buy a Medigap policy. If you are able to buy one, it may cost more.
- If you delay in Part B because you have group health coverage based on your (or your spouse's) current employment, your Medigap Open Enrollment Period won't start until you sign up for Part B.
If you have questions about enrollment please give us a call. We're here to help.
This information comes from www.medicare.gov and Medicare and You.