Medicare glossary
Annual Enrollment Period (AEP)
The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7 every year. During it, anyone with Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan and a Part D drug plan, with changes taking effect January 1.
This is the main window for shopping your coverage as plans and prices change each year. It's separate from the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 to March 31), which lets current Advantage members switch once. Medicare Supplement policies aren't tied to this calendar.
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