When Is Medicare Open Enrollment?

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Medicare open enrollment is a nearly two-month period that lasts from October 15 to December 7. During this period, existing Medicare members can make changes to their coverage such as joining, switching or dropping an Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plan.
Keep reading to learn how Medicare open enrollment works when signing up for coverage either through the federal government or a private insurance company and when you can enroll in certain types of health insurance plans.
Key Takeaways
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Types of Health Insurance and Medicare Enrollment Periods
There are several different health insurance enrollment periods when you can sign up for Medicare or some other type of health plan. See the below table for an overview of the various enrollment deadlines that apply to Medicare beneficiaries as well as deadlines for other types of health coverage.
Enrollment Type |
Time Frame |
Description |
---|---|---|
Medicare initial enrollment[1] |
Three months before the month you become eligible for Medicare to three months after the month you become eligible |
Most people are able to enroll in Medicare for the first time during a seven-month window surrounding their 65th birthday but you can also qualify in other ways such as having a severe disability or disease |
Medicare general enrollment[2] |
January 1 to March 31 |
You can sign up for Medicare during general enrollment if you missed your initial enrollment period, although you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty |
Medicare open enrollment[1] |
October 15 to December 7 |
If you have already enrolled in Medicare, you can make changes to your coverage during open enrollment |
Medicare Advantage open enrollment[1] |
January 1 to March 31 |
You can freely make changes to your Medicare Advantage plan during your first three months of having Medicare but otherwise you can only switch Medicare Advantage plans or go back to Original Medicare during open enrollment |
Depends on circumstances |
You can qualify for a special enrollment period and sign up for coverage at any point during the year if your health insurance needs change due to a major life event like moving to a new home or losing your job |
|
5-star special enrollment period[3] |
December 8 to November 30 |
Throughout most of the year, Medicare members can take advantage of a one-time special enrollment period to switch to a Medicare plan with a 5-star quality rating |
Extra Help enrollment periods[4] |
January 1 to March 31, April 1 to June 30 and July 1 to September 30 |
Medicare members who qualify for lower prescription drug costs through Extra Help can change their drug coverage once per Extra Help enrollment period for a total of three times per year outside of open enrollment |
Medigap open enrollment[5] |
The first day of the month you are at least 65 years old and have enrolled in Medicare Part B to six months afterward |
While you can only get guaranteed issue Medicare Supplement insurance during your Medigap open enrollment period, you can shop for coverage anytime, although you may have to undergo a medical examination and could have to pay more for coverage or could be denied coverage altogether |
First health insurance open enrollment period[6] |
November 1 to December 15 |
You can sign up for a private health plan that will begin on January 1 through the Health Insurance Marketplace |
Second health insurance open enrollment period[6] |
December 16 to January 15 |
You can sign up for a private health plan that will begin on February 1 through the Health Insurance Marketplace |
Medicaid or CHIP enrollment[6] |
Year-round |
Eligible low-income families can sign up for Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage at any time |
What Can I Do During Medicare Open Enrollment?
During Medicare open enrollment, you are free to make changes to your Medicare plan such as adding or dropping coverage or switching to a different plan as long as you signed up for Medicare during your initial enrollment period. As you adjust your policy during open enrollment, you should keep in mind that there are four main parts of Medicare.
- Part A: Also known as hospital insurance, Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital care, hospice care, home healthcare and similar services. You should qualify for Medicare Part A at no charge as long as you or your spouse worked for at least 10 years and paid taxes into Medicare. Otherwise, you will have to pay for Medicare Part A.[7]
- Part B: Also known as medical insurance, Medicare Part B can help you pay for outpatient care, medical equipment like wheelchairs or walkers and preventive services like vaccines or screenings. Original Medicare includes both Parts A and B, although you can opt out of Part B since it always requires a premium.
- Part C: Also known as Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part C is a type of Medicare-approved health plan sold by a private insurance company rather than the federal government. It typically includes all of the other parts of Medicare and may include additional coverage that generally isn’t provided by Original Medicare such as vision, hearing and dental insurance.
- Part D: Also known as prescription drug coverage, Medicare Part D can help you pay for both generic and brand-name medicines. Like Part C, prescription drug coverage is sold by private insurers that follow rules set by the federal government.[8]
Are There Penalties for Late Medicare Enrollment?
You will have to pay a higher premium for Medicare Parts A, B and D if you sign up for them after your initial enrollment period, although no such penalty exists for Medicare Advantage. The below table goes over the late enrollment penalties you can expect for Medicare Parts A, B and D.[7]
Medicare Part |
Late Enrollment Penalty |
Example |
---|---|---|
A |
Your premium will go up by 10% for two times the number of years you could have already been on Medicare Part A |
If you have a base premium of $278 per month for Part A but don’t purchase coverage until two years after you are eligible, then your premium will instead be $305.80 per month for your first four years of coverage |
B |
Your premium will permanently go up by 10% times the number of years you could have already been on Medicare Part B |
If you have a base premium of $164.90 per month for Part B but don’t purchase coverage until three years after you are eligible, then your premium will instead be $214.37 per month for as long as you have Medicare Part B |
D |
Unless you have a comparable drug plan or qualify for Extra Help, your premium will permanently go up by 1% of the national base beneficiary premium (which is $32.74 in 2023) times the number of months you could have already been on Medicare Part D rounded to the nearest 10 cents |
If you have a base premium of $40 per month for Part D but don’t purchase coverage until six months after you are eligible, then your premium will instead be $42 per month for as long as you have Medicare Part D |
Are There New Medicare Plans for 2024?
The availability and cost of Medicare plans can change each year and vary depending on your location. It’s worth noting that new changes to Medicare Part D for 2024 should make prescription drug coverage cheaper, lower out-of-pocket costs for certain insulin products and vaccines and get rid of cost sharing during a beneficiary’s catastrophic phase of coverage, which they will reach after spending spend more than $8,000 out of pocket on prescription drugs in 2024.[9] In other words, if you’ve spent $8,000 on prescription drugs, you will no longer have to pay a percentage of your drug costs for the rest of the policy term.
Is It Worth Changing My Medicare Plan Style?
Whether you should change your Medicare plan style depends on your specific coverage needs and budget. If you need more information to help you determine which type of plan would be best for you, read the below table for an explanation of some of the major plan styles available through Medicare and Medicare Advantage providers.
Plan Type |
Description |
---|---|
HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) |
HMO insurance covers treatments from doctors and facilities who contract with the insurance plan but generally doesn’t cover out-of-network care |
HMO-POS (Health Maintenance Organization Point of Service) |
HMO-POS insurance covers visits to both in-network and out-of-network healthcare providers, although you will have to pay more out of pocket when you go to an out-of-network provider |
MSA (Medical Savings Account) |
MSA insurance combines a high-deductible health plan and a savings account with money from Medicare that you can use to pay for covered medical expenses before you hit your deductible |
PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) |
PPO insurance covers treatments from both in-network and out-of-network healthcare providers and doesn’t require you to select a primary care physician or get a referral to see a specialist |
PFFS (Private Fee-for-Service) |
PFFS insurance allows you to visit both in-network and out-of-network providers, although out-of-network providers can decline to treat you if they don’t agree to the terms of your PFFS plan |
SNP (Special Needs Plan) |
SNP insurance provides tailored coverage for Medicare members who have a severe chronic condition, live in a long-term care facility or are also eligible for Medicaid |
Is There an Automatic Medicare Reenrollment Process?
Once you have enrolled in a Medicare plan, it will generally renew itself automatically, meaning you won’t need to track Medicare open enrollment dates and reenroll. The primary exception is if you have a Medicare Advantage plan, which should renew itself in most cases but could end if your insurance company stops offering the type of plan you have or if the government cancels its contract with your insurance carrier.[10]
As a result, it’s important to check for changes and determine if your plan still suits your needs when you receive the plan’s annual notice of change (ANOC) each fall.[10]
How To Sign Up for Medicare During the Open Enrollment Period
You can sign up for Medicare online or over the phone through Social Security. You’ll need to provide information such as your Social Security number, where you were born, your current health insurance information and your email address.[11]
If you’re interested in Medicare Part C, you can compare Medicare rates from private insurance companies using an insurance marketplace like SmartFinancial. Insert your zip code below and we’ll take you through a simple questionnaire about your coverage needs and then share your information with agents in your area who can provide you with free health insurance quotes.
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