When Can I Sign Up for Medicare Advantage? Enrollment Periods Explained Simply

Medicare enrollment has strict timing rules, and missing a window can mean waiting months for coverage -- or paying a penalty for the rest of your life. We know that sounds scary. The good news is that once you understand the four main windows, it is actually straightforward. Here is a plain-English guide to when you can sign up for Medicare Advantage.

Your first chance: Initial Enrollment Period (IEP)

When you first become eligible for Medicare -- usually when you turn 65 -- you get a 7-month window to enroll. This window starts 3 months before the month of your 65th birthday, includes your birthday month, and extends 3 months after. If you enroll in the first 3 months (before your birthday month), your coverage starts on the first day of your birthday month. If you enroll in your birthday month or after, coverage is delayed by one to three months. You can use this window to sign up for both Original Medicare and a Medicare Advantage plan.

The main annual window: Annual Enrollment Period (AEP)

Every year, from October 15 to December 7, everyone on Medicare can make changes. You can switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, switch between Medicare Advantage plans, or return to Original Medicare. Any changes you make during AEP take effect January 1 of the following year. This is the window you hear advertised heavily in the fall -- the one with all the TV commercials. If you miss AEP, your coverage stays as-is until the next year (with some exceptions below).

If you already have Medicare Advantage: Open Enrollment Period (OEP)

From January 1 to March 31 each year, people who are already on a Medicare Advantage plan have one more chance to switch -- either to a different Medicare Advantage plan or back to Original Medicare. You can only use the OEP once per year, and you cannot use it to join Medicare Advantage for the first time.

Life events: Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs)

Outside of the regular windows, certain life events let you make Medicare changes. Common triggers include: losing your employer or union health coverage, moving to a new address outside your current plan's service area, becoming newly eligible for Medicaid, or your current plan being discontinued. SEPs typically last 2 months from the qualifying event. If you think you might qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, call us -- we will tell you exactly what you are eligible to do and by when.

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