Enrollment Periods
When to join a Medicare health or drug plan: You can only join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) or Medicare drug plan (Part D): At certain times, called enrollment periods.
Enrollment Period:
You Can:
Coverage Starts:
Initial Enrollment Period (new to Medicare)
Starts 3 months before you get Medicare and ends 3 months after you get Medicare.
Join any plan.
- You need both Part A (Hospital Insurance)
and
Part B (Medical Insurance)to join a Medicare Advantage Plan.
- You need either Part A or Part B to join a Medicare drug plan.
Varies, depending on when the plan gets your request:
- If you request to join a plan before your Medicare starts: Your plan coverage starts the same day as when your Medicare starts.
- If you request to join a plan after your Medicare starts: Your plan coverage starts the first of the month after the plan gets your request.
Initial Enrollment Period – New to Part B
(only if you get Part B after your Part A coverage starts)
The 3 months before your Part B starts.
Join any Medicare Advantage Plan with or without drug coverage.
The same day as when your Part B coverage starts.
Annual Enrollment Period
October 15-December 7.
- Join, drop, or switch to another Medicare Advantage Plan (or add or drop drug coverage).
- Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan or from a Medicare Advantage Plan to Original Medicare.
- Join a Medicare drug plan if you’re in Original Medicare.
- Switch from one Medicare drug plan to another if you’re in Original Medicare
January 1 of the next year.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period
(only if you’re already in a Medicare Advantage Plan)
- January 1-March 31.
- Within the first 3 months you get Medicare
- Switch to another Medicare Advantage Plan with or without drug coverage.
- Drop your Medicare Advantage Plan and go back to Original Medicare.
- Join a Medicare drug plan
First of the month after the plan gets your request.
Special Enrollment Period Varies. Only for certain situations that happen in your life, like moving to a new address, losing or changing your current coverage, getting Medicaid, or getting.
If you sign up for Medicare Part A or Part B during a Special Enrollment Period (SEP), it means you are enrolling outside of your initial enrollment period and can do so due to a qualifying life event, like losing employer-sponsored health insurance, which allows you to join Medicare without facing a late enrollment penalty, and your coverage typically begins the month after your application is processed by Social Security.
- No late enrollment penalty.
- Limited timeframe:Each SEP has a specific time window during which you can enroll
Generally, you can join a Medicare Advantage Plan (with or without drug coverage) or Medicare drug plan, or switch to another plan.
Starting January 1, 2025, if you sign up for Part A and/or Part B during a Special Enrollment Period because of an exceptional situation, you’ll have 2 months to join a plan or switch to another plan.
Varies. Generally, the first of the month after the plan gets your request.
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