Medicare Enrollment Periods
You can't sign up for Medicare any time you want. There are set windows. Miss one and you may face a gap in coverage, a penalty, and missed opportunities.
When You First Get Medicare
These periods apply when you're first becoming eligible for Medicare.
Initial Enrollment Period (IEP)
Who: Anyone turning 65 or newly qualifying for Medicare due to disability.
What you can do: Enroll in Medicare Parts A and B; choose a Medicare Advantage plan or sign up for Medigap + Part D.
Special Enrollment Period, Working Past 65 (SEP)
Who: People who delayed Medicare because they had employer-sponsored health insurance (or coverage through a working spouse).
What you can do: Enroll in Medicare Part B without penalty. Must have had creditable employer coverage to qualify for this SEP.
Initial Coverage Election Period (ICEP), Medicare Advantage
Who: Anyone newly eligible for Medicare who wants to join a Medicare Advantage plan.
What you can do: Join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time.
Annual Open Enrollment
These periods recur every year and allow most people to make plan changes.
Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), Open Enrollment
Who: Anyone currently enrolled in Medicare (Parts A and B).
What you can do: Switch between Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare; change Medicare Advantage plans; join, switch, or drop a Part D plan. Changes take effect January 1.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP)
Who: People currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan.
What you can do: Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan, or switch from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare (and join a Part D plan). Cannot use this period to switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage.
Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs)
Life events can trigger a Special Enrollment Period outside the standard windows.
Dual-Eligible / D-SNP SEP
Who: People enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid (dual-eligible).
What you can do: Switch to Original Medicare with a standalone Part D plan in any month, or enroll any month into an integrated D-SNP aligned with your Medicaid plan. (The former once-per-quarter SEP was replaced with monthly SEPs starting January 2025.)
Moving SEP
Who: People who move out of their plan's service area or to an area with new plan options.
What you can do: Switch plans when moving to a new service area.
Loss of Other Coverage SEP
Who: People who lose employer-sponsored, union, or other creditable coverage.
What you can do: Enroll in a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
Qualifying Event SEPs (Various)
Who: People who experience qualifying life events including: plan contract termination, moving into/out of long-term care, gaining/losing Medicaid, or plan sanction by CMS.
What you can do: Enroll in or switch Medicare coverage plans.
Not Sure When You Can Make a Change?
Enrollment period rules are complex, and making a change at the wrong time can affect your coverage or trigger penalties. We'll tell you exactly what you can do and when, for free.
By calling you will be connected to a licensed insurance agent.
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