Medicare Enrollment Periods Explained
Initial Enrollment Period: a 7-month window that starts 3 months before the month you turn 65 and ends 3 months after it.
Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): October 15 to December 7. You can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, and changes take effect January 1.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: January 1 to March 31. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch to another one or return to Original Medicare once.
Special Enrollment Periods: certain life events, like moving or losing other coverage, may let you make changes at other times.
Official dates and rules are at Medicare.gov.
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