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Different Medicare Enrollment Periods
Charles Lee
February 18, 2019

Many people get confused about when they can sign up for Medicare and its supplemental insurance, such as Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) or Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan. Here is a short summary.

IEP:  7-month Initial Enrollment Period to sign up for Part A and/or Part B. It includes the month you turn 65, and 3 months before and 3 months after the month you turn 65.

  • If you miss IEP, you still can sign up for free Part A any time, but you will be assessed for late penalty for Part B . You can delay to enroll in Part B if you have employer-sponsored health coverage.
  • It’s the same initial enrollment period that you are eligible to apply for Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) or Prescription drug coverage (Part D).

Medicare OEP: Open Enrollment Period is an annual period, October 15 through December 7, during which you can make change to your Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) or Prescription drug coverage (Part D).

GEP: If you didn’t sign up when you were first eligible, you can sign up for Part A and/or Part B during the General Enrollment Period between January 1–March 31 each year.  However, the coverage will start on July 1.

Medicare Advantage OEP:  from January 1 to March 31, you are allowed to change your Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans.

Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Enrollment Period: You are given 6-month window of guaranteed right to enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan regardless of your health issues, when you are first eligible for Medicare.

Part C & Part D SEP: Under certain circumstances that qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period :

  • 2 full months after the month you move
  • 2 full months after the month you lose your employer-sponsored coverage and enrolled in Part B.
  • You’re eligible for Medicaid.
  • You qualify for extra help with medicare prescription drug costs.
  • 2 full months after the month you’re getting or dropping care in an institution, like a skilled nursing facility or long‑term care hospital.
  • You want to switch to a plan with a 5‑star overall quality rating. quality ratings are available on Medicare.gov.
DISCLAIMER: Insurance matters discussed are always changing, so accuracy or usefulness of facts may be time-sensitive. Article content is used solely for the purpose of informing readers, and is not intended for any commercial use. Any views or opinions that are expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of any entities involved or mentioned.