MedicareWire

Best Medicare plan, cost, and enrollment tools for seniors.

Speak with a Licensed Advisor[1]

1-855-728-0510 (TTY 711)

Mon-Fri 8am-9pm EST, Sat 9am-9pm EST

  • Medicare Advantage
  • Medicare Part D
  • Medigap
  • Special Needs
  • More➲
    • Senior Dental Insurance
    • Medicare Mistakes
    • What Does Medicare Cover?
    • Important Resources
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Medicare Glossary
Home › Glossary › Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment

by David Bynon, June 6, 2021

In health insurance, open enrollment is a period during which a person may enroll in or change their selection of health plan benefits. Health plan enrollment is ordinarily subject to restrictions.

In Medicare, there are several enrollment periodsEnrollment periods are designated time periods to enroll or disenroll from the various parts of Medicare. There are six Medicare enrollment periods., including:

  • Initial Enrollment PeriodThe Initial Enrollment Period is a seven-month period when new beneficiaries can enroll in Medicare without a penalty. Most people enroll in Medicare at age 65.
  • Special Enrollment PeriodSpecial Enrollment Periods (SEPs) allow beneficiaries to change their Medicare Advantage and Part D plans due to a special circumstance. Common reasons for a SEP include moving, losing employer coverage, and Medicaid eligibility, to name...
  • Annual Enrollment PeriodThe Annual Enrollment Period is when Medicare beneficiaries can join, drop or change Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. AEP begins on 15 October and ends on 7 December. (for Medicare AdvantageMedicare Advantage (MA), also known as Medicare Part C, are health plans from private insurance companies that are available to people eligible for Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B). and Part DMedicare Part D plans are an option Medicare beneficiaries can use to get prescription drug coverage. Part D plans provide cost-sharing on covered medications in four different phases: deductible, initial coverage, coverage gap, and catastrophic. Each...)
  • General Enrollment PeriodThe General Enrollment Period (GEP) allows beneficiaries to enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B  from January 1 to March 31 if they missed their Initial Enrollment Period. Beneficiaries can also enroll in a...
  • Open Enrollment PeriodDuring the Medicare Open Enrollment Period, Medicare Advantage and Part D plan members can change, switch, or drop a plan they chose during the Annual Election Period. OEP starts on January 1 and ends on March 31. (for Medicare Advantage and Part D)
  • Medigap Open Enrollment PeriodUpon initial enrollment in Medicare Part A and Part B, beneficiaries have a one-time, six-month period to buy a  Medicare supplement policy with guaranteed issue rights. This is the Medigap Open Enrollment Period. (aka, Medicare SupplementMedicare Supplements are additional insurance policies that Medicare beneficiaries can purchase to cover the gaps in their Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B) health insurance coverage. Open Enrollment)

 

[1] Licensed Sales Agent

Licensed sales agent (“advisor”) services are provided by HealthCompare Insurance Services, Inc., MedicareWire’s trusted partner. Online enrollment service provided through MedicareEnrollment.com, a HealthCompare affiliate. Read our full sales agent disclosure.

[2] Trademark Notice

MedicareWire uses legal U.S. trademarks to identify and describe Medicare and other insurance products for shoppers. See our full trademark use disclosure.

About MedicareWire

  • About
  • Contact
  • Code of Conduct
  • MCMG Compliance
  • Privacy
  • California Consumer Privacy
  • Disclosure
  • Personally Identifiable Health Information

Copyright © 2022 MedicareWire.com - All Rights Reserved

Get a FREE Medigap Rate Analysis... and Save!


We'll save you money with a FREE Medicare Supplement insurance rate analysis!

The only way to know if you are getting the best deal on your Medicare Supplement insurance is to see all rates from all insurance carriers. That's what we'll send you when you fill out the form below. We won't spam you, call you, or sell your information. That's a promise!

Complete this form and we'll email your free report in 1 business day or less.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.