Medicare has four main enrollment periods : Annual Election Period, Initial Coverage Enrollment period , Special Enrollment period and General Enrollment period. Some of these enrollment periods happen as a result of a life change while others happen annually.
Initial Coverage Enrollment period (ICEP):
Initial Coverage Enrolment period occurs when you initially turn 65 years old. This enrollment period starts 3 months before your 65th birthday and lasts 3 additional months after, totalling seven months. During ICEP medicare beneficiaries are able to choose to enroll into medicare, medicare advantage, Medicare Supplement / Medi-gap or medicare prescription drug plans.
Annual Election period (AEP):
The Annual Election Period (AEP) happens yearly from October 15th through December 7th. Once a person is enrolled into Medicare they are able to make changes to their medicare plans during this time period. These changes are made effective January 1st of the following year. Outside of the AEP Medicare members are generally not able to make changes to their Medicare plans unless they have a Special Enrollment Period.
Special Enrollment Period (SEP):
Special Enrollment period (SEP) are enrollment periods that are activated by lifechanges. These life changes could be events like : lost work insurance, moved, returned to United States, released from Jail, enroll into Medi-cal, Disenroll from Medi-cal or changes similar to this. When a Medicare member has one of these changes they will have 60 Days from the event to enroll into or make changes to a Medicare plan.
General Enrollment Period (GEP):
General Enrollment Period (GEP) happens yearly from January through March 31st. This enrollment period allows Medicare enrollees to make a one time change to their Medicare plans or return to Original Medicare. There is not a life change required, but the plan member must be currently enrolled in a Medicare plan to be able to make the change.