Medicare Advantage Enrollment Periods

Summary: There are various Medicare Advantage enrollment periods throughout the year. These enrollment periods include timeframes when you can enroll in a new Medicare Advantage plan, change your current plan, or drop your current coverage without penalty. Here, we will go over each Medicare Advantage enrollment period so you can be informed about your healthcare coverage. Estimated Read Time: 7 mins

Table of Contents:

1. 1. Can I Enroll in Medicare Advantage Anytime?
   2. Initial Coverage Election Period
   3. Medicare Advantage Enrollment After Delaying Part B
   4. Medicare Advantage Annual Enrollment Period
   5. Open Enrollment for Medicare Advantage Plans
   6. Medicare Advantage Special Enrollment Periods
   7. Medicare Advantage Trial Right Periods
   8. Special Enrollment Periods for Limited Income and Life-Changing Events
   9. Is It Too Late to Sign Up for Medicare Advantage?
   10. How to Enroll in Medicare Advantage

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan or are thinking of enrolling in one, it is essential to understand the Medicare Advantage enrollment periods. There are various Medicare Advantage enrollment periods, including timeframes when you can enroll in a new plan, drop your current coverage, or change plans throughout the year. Medicare Advantage enrollment can be confusing, so it is important to be informed.

Some enrollment periods are the same for every Medicare enrollee, and others depend on your circumstances. Let’s go over Medicare Advantage enrollment, when you can change your plan, and how to make a change.

Initial Coverage Election Period

Your Initial Coverage Election Period begins three months before your Part B coverage goes into effect and ends the last day of the month before Part B begins.

This is a common enrollment period for people who enroll in Medicare Part A coverage but delay Medicare Part B.

For example, if you enroll in Part A on January 1, 2012, but delay Part B until January 1, 2020, your ICEP will be from October 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019. You will be able to enroll in any Medicare Advantage plan that’s available to you during this three-month period.

Your ICEP is different from your Initial Enrollment Period, which is three months before, the month of, and three months after your Medicare Part B begins. You can only enroll in Medicare Advantage during this time if you enrolled in Original Medicare Part A and Part B at the same time.

Medicare Advantage Enrollment After Delaying Part B

If you are working past age 65, you may be eligible to delay Medicare Part B enrollment. However, before you put off Medicare benefits, you must be sure you have creditable coverage. Otherwise, you may need to pay the Medicare Part B late enrollment penalty.

After delaying Medicare Part B coverage, you receive an eight-month Special Enrollment Period when you retire or lose your creditable health coverage. Before retiring, you should sign up for Medicare Part B to avoid a coverage gap.

If it makes sense, you can sign up for Medicare Part B anytime while working. Along with your eight-month Special Enrollment Period, you will receive your Initial Coverage Election Period to obtain a Medicare Advantage plan.

Medicare Advantage Annual Enrollment Period

If you miss your Initial Coverage Election Period, the Annual Enrollment Period is typically your next chance for Medicare Advantage enrollment. Each year, the Annual Enrollment Period happens from October 15 through December 7. During this time, you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that will be effective on January 1.

You can also use this enrollment window to disenroll from your Medicare Advantage plan and switch to Original Medicare or another Medicare Advantage plan. After you disenroll from your Medicare Advantage plan, you can pick up a Medigap plan and a stand-alone Part D drug plan to pair with Original Medicare.

Open Enrollment for Medicare Advantage Plans

Each year, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs between January 1 and March 31. This enrollment period allows you to make a one-time change to your current Medicare Advantage plan.

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is only for those who already have Medicare Advantage. The Open Enrollment Period is not for you to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time. However, you can use it to change your Medicare Advantage policy to another or switch back to Original Medicare.

Medicare Advantage Special Enrollment Periods

A few events allow beneficiaries to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan or change their plan outside of a typical enrollment period. These particular circumstances give you a Special Enrollment Period (SEP).

Types of SEPs include:

• Trial Right Periods
• Low-Income
• Life-Changing Events

Medicare Advantage Trial Right Periods

If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan during your Initial Coverage Election Period when you were first eligible for Medicare, you are entitled to a 12-month Medicare Advantage trial right period. During this 12-month window, you have a Special Enrollment Period you can use at any time to cancel your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare.

At the same time, you’ll have a guaranteed issue right to enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan. The guaranteed issue right will last for 63 days after you disenroll from your Medicare Advantage plan.

This same trial right applies to those who drop a Medicare Supplement plan and enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time.

In this scenario, you also get a 12-month window offering you a Special Enrollment Period to change your mind. Once you disenroll from your plan, you have 63 days to re-enroll in a Medicare Supplement with guaranteed issue rights.

Still, this trial right has limits. You can only re-enroll in your previous Medicare Supplement plan if it is still available in your area. So, if your plan’s premium goes up, you will be responsible for the change in cost.

Special Enrollment Periods for Limited Income and Life-Changing Events

Those with a limited income or who go through life-changing events are eligible for a few Special Enrollment Periods. These SEPs are specific to situations and require proof of circumstances for a beneficiary to be admitted to the plan.

Special Enrollment Periods for low-income and life-changing events include:

• Medicare Advantage Dual Special Enrollment Period
• Losing employer or group coverage
• Medicare Advantage Low-Income Subsidy and Extra Help Special Enrollment Period
• Medicare Advantage State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program Special Enrollment Period
• Special Enrollment Periods When Moving, Institutionalized, or on a Special Needs Plan
• FEMA-Declared Weather-Related Emergency or Major Disaster
• This is not a complete list of Special Enrollment Periods you could be eligible for. If you believe you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, contact your local Social Security Administration office to confirm eligibility.

Is It Too Late to Sign Up for Medicare Advantage?

If you didn’t sign up for Medicare Advantage during your Initial Coverage Election Period, it’s not too late. As long as you meet the Medicare Advantage eligibility requirements you can still enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan during the Annual Enrollment Period or if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

Get Help with Medicare Advantage Enrollment Periods

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