Enrollment
Medicare enrollment: which window applies to you
There is more than one enrollment period, and they do different things. Here is which one you are in.
Initial Enrollment Period
Your seven-month window around your 65th birthday: three months before, your birthday month, and three months after. This is when most people first enroll in Part A and Part B.
Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 to December 7
The one most people mean by open enrollment. During this window you can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D drug plan. Changes take effect January 1.
This is the window to check your drug plan. Formularies, pharmacy networks, and costs change every year, and a plan that fit last year may not fit this year.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment, January 1 to March 31
If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance in this window to switch to a different Advantage plan or to go back to Original Medicare and add a drug plan.
You cannot use this window to join an Advantage plan from Original Medicare.
General Enrollment Period, January 1 to March 31
For people who missed their initial window and do not qualify for a special one. Coverage generally begins the month after you sign up, and a late penalty may apply.
Special Enrollment Periods
Life events can open a window outside the usual dates. Common ones include moving out of your plan service area, losing employer or union coverage, leaving or entering a nursing facility, and qualifying for Medicaid or Extra Help.
People with both Medicare and Medicaid, and people who qualify for Extra Help, often have more chances to change plans during the year than everyone else.
Official resource
Check the source, then ask for personal help
Educational information is general. A licensed agent can help with plan comparisons; agents do not provide medical, legal, or official eligibility advice.
Personal guidance · No additional fee