What is the Medicare Open Enrollment Period… and what coverage changes can you make? Open Enrollment Period (OEP) is NOT the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) which runs from October 15th through December 7th each year and when you can make changes to your current Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Supplement—or “Medigap”—Plan, or Part D drug plan, with changes becoming effective January 1st of the following year.

Open Enrollment Period (OEP) is available if you’re already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, and your Open Enrollment window is from January 1st to March 31st. During this period, you can make a one-time switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan or return to Original Medicare with a separate Part D prescription drug plan. If you have a Medicare Supplement, or “Medigap” plan, you can’t switch to a Medicare Advantage plan during the OEP.

Navigating all these different Enrollment Periods can be confusing, especially the OEP. There are also circumstances that might qualify as a special enrollment period (SEP) and timelines that can affect your eligibility that your health insurance broker can make you aware of. 

To make sure you get all the Medicare benefits that fit your needs and budget, and help you understand the timelines, call us today.