Medicare: Other Enrollment Periods

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Transcript: Medicare enrollment periods include an Initial Enrollment Period, Annual Open Enrollment, General Enrollment Period, and Special Enrollment Periods. It’s important to understand each period’s specific dates and conditions to ensure timely enrollment and avoid potential late enrollment penalties. Initial Enrollment is when you first become eligible for Medicare. Annual Open Enrollment is when you can make changes to your Medicare coverage, as signing up, leaving, or changing a plan. Annual Open Enrollment period takes place from October 15 to December 7. General Enrollment Period is when you can sign up for Medicare Part A and/or Part B, if you didn’t sign up when you were first eligible and if you’re not eligible for a Special Enrollment Period. General Enrollment Period takes place from January 1 to March 31. Special Enrollment Period (SEP) is when special circumstances may allow you to enroll in Medicare. Special circumstances could include: losing your current health insurance coverage including Medicaid, choosing to leave your employer-based or union health plan including COBRA, your current plan changes its contract with Medicare, you receive a notice of effort from Medicare for your plan, a government-declared disaster or emergency, your employer or group plan made an error on your coverage, or you were formerly incarcerated and missed your Initial Enrollment Period or stopped paying premiums due to incarceration. If you did not join Medicare Part A and/ or B during your initial enrollment because you had employer-based coverage through yourself or your spouse’s employer, you will qualify for a SEP when you decide to enroll in Part A and/or Part B. You can use your SEP to enroll in Original Medicare at any time while you’re covered under employer-based insurance or during the 8-month enrollment period that you have after your employer-based coverage ends. If you do not enroll during this 8-month Special Enrollment Period, your next chance to enroll will be during the next General Enrollment Period. You may be eligible for a SEP for other reasons, such as a recent move, and will be able to switch to a new Medicare Advantage Plan or Prescription Drug Plan. The timeframe for the SEP and the effective date of your new coverage will vary depending on the circumstances that qualified you for a SEP. If you decide not to enroll in Medicare during your Initial Enrollment Period and do not meet any of the certain conditions for a SEP, you may have to pay a Late Enrollment Penalty. [The screen fades to show a thumbnail of a faded white background of a doctor holding hands with another individual] Deaf. Healthy. DeafHealth. Learn more at www.deafhealthaccess.org. [The screen fades to show a thumbnail of a blue lighthouse] Paf. Patient Advocate Foundation. www.patientadvocate.org.]