When it comes to Medicare, being aware of when you can enroll or switch plans is crucial. Not knowing which enrollment periods are available to you and when they can be used can easily create gaps in coverage or require maintaining coverages that no longer meet your needs.

To ensure that this does not happen to you, let us go over each Medicare enrollment period:

Initial Enrollment Period

The Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) time frame is 3 months prior to the consumer’s birth month, the birth month, and three months after the birth month for a total of 7 months.. This period is when you are first eligible to enroll in:

• Original Medicare
• Part D prescription drug plan
• Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan

If you do not sign up during this period, you risk paying late enrollment penalties. However, some individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicare and will not have to worry about signing up on time. You can be automatically enrolled if you currently receive benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.

General Enrollment Period

If you miss your IEP, the General Enrollment Period (GEP) is available. This period starts on January 1st and runs thru March 31st of every year. Enrolling in Medicare during this period means your coverage will start the month after you sign up.

Special Enrollment Period

If you miss your IEP, you may have an opportunity to bypass the GEP and enroll during a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). If you enroll during a SEP, you will not have to pay late enrollment penalties. However, you have to qualify for this period before you can benefit from it. Here are some of the qualifying reasons:

• You are changing your place of residence
• You are losing your current coverage
• You have the chance to get other coverage
• The contract for your current plan with Medicare has changed

Annual Enrollment Period

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is available to anyone currently enrolled in Medicare. From October 15 to December 7 of every year, Medicare beneficiaries can use the AEP to review their Medicare plan and determine if another Medicare plan would better suit their needs. The changes that can be made during this period include:

• If you have Original Medicare, you can switch to a Medicare Advantage plan
• If you have Medicare Advantage, you can drop it and stay with Original Medicare
• You can switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another that may or may not have prescription drug coverage included
• You can join, switch, or drop Medicare Part D prescription drug plans
• You can switch from your current insurer to a new one

Medigap Open Enrollment Period

The Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a six-month period that starts as soon as your Medicare Part B coverage is effective and you are 65 years of age or older. This is not the only time you can enroll in a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan, but it is generally recommended as the best time frame to do so. During this period, insurance companies will not put you through a medical underwriting process, nor will they deny you coverage, or charge higher monthly premiums.

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period

This period is available to those currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan and occurs during the same time as the GEP: January 1st through March 31st. During this period, you will have the options to:

• Switch to another Medicare Advantage plan that may or may not have prescription drug coverage
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and stay with Original Medicare; you may also add on a standalone Part D plan