Two important things to know about the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) if you are considering switching from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another (i.e. UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage to Humana Medicare Advantage)
Carol Wolf
Open Enrollment Period
1.) Each year, Medicare beneficiaries have an opportunity to make changes to how they receive their Medicare coverage during the nearly 8-week annual open enrollment period. The annual Medicare open enrollment period runs from October 15 to December 7 of each year. During this time, people with Medicare can review features of Medicare plans offered in their area and make changes to their Medicare coverage, which go into effect on January 1 of the following year. People who are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan can use the Medicare open enrollment period to choose a different Medicare Advantage plan or switch to traditional Medicare.
2.) Other Opportunities for Medicare Advantage Plan Beneficiaries to Make Coverage Changes Outside of the Open Enrollment Period
Medicare provides several different Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs) where Medicare beneficiaries can make certain changes to their coverage outside of the Annual Enrollment Period under certain circumstances. One of these opportunities is called the “Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period” (MA OEP) and it allows Medicare Advantage enrollees to change plans (or switch to traditional Medicare) between January 1 through March 31 each year. This is in addition to the open enrollment period that runs from October 15 to December 7. If someone changes during January 1 though March 31, typically the new coverage will start the first day of the following month after the plan receives the enrollment request (as an example, if you enroll in January 2026 the coverage would likely begin on February 1, 2026).
Carol Ann Wolf is a retired health care executive and resides in the Village of Hemingway.
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