Medicare 101
Medicare Enrollment Periods
There are a few key windows to enroll in or change Medicare. Your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is the 7 months around your 65th birthday. The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) runs Oct 15–Dec 7 each year (CMS, fixed annual window) for plan changes. Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs) open for qualifying life events like moving or losing coverage.
Avoiding penalties
Missing your IEP without creditable coverage can add lifelong Part B and Part D penalties. We track your dates so you enroll in the right window.
Questions, answered
When is Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period?
October 15 to December 7 each year — a fixed annual window (CMS). Changes you make take effect January 1. We review your plan every fall to make sure it's still your best fit.
What's the difference between AEP and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP)?
AEP (Oct 15–Dec 7) is open to every Medicare beneficiary and allows a full plan switch. The separate MA OEP (Jan 1–Mar 31) is only for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan, and only allows one additional switch to a different Advantage plan or back to Original Medicare — it's a narrower do-over window, not a second AEP.
What is a Special Enrollment Period (SEP)?
An SEP opens outside the standard windows when a qualifying life event happens — moving out of your plan's service area, losing employer coverage, losing Medicaid eligibility, or a plan leaving Medicare, among others. The length and rules vary by the specific event, so we confirm your exact window rather than assuming a standard 60 days.
What happens if I miss all my enrollment windows?
Depending on which window you missed, you may face a permanent Part B or Part D late-enrollment penalty and could have to wait for the next general enrollment period. We track your dates specifically to prevent this — if you think you've missed a window, contact us right away since some SEP exceptions have short deadlines of their own.
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