The Annual Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP) runs from January 1–March 31 each year. Your coverage begins the first day of the month after you enroll in the plan. You must be in a Medicare Advantage Plan (at any time) during the first 3 months of the year to use this enrollment period.

If you’re switching plans, don’t disenroll from your current plan. Instead, call to join the new plan and this will automatically disenroll you from the old plan.

If you joined a Medicare Advantage Plan during your first 3 months of having Medicare Part A and Part B, you qualify for the Individual MA OEP and can change to another Medicare Advantage Plan (with or without drug coverage) or go back to Original Medicare (with or without a Medicare drug plan) within the first 3 months you have both Medicare Part A and Part B.

Here is an example, if your IEP is March 1–September 30 and you have: Part A effective June 1, but wait to enroll in Part B and a Medicare Advantage Plan, effective September 1, your MAOEP is September 1–November 30.  Part A and Part B effective June 1 and also enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan effective June 1, your MA OEP is June 1–August 31. Part A and Part B effective June 1 but don’t enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan until September 1, your MA OEP is still June 1–August 31. You didn’t enroll in your Medicare Advantage Plan with enough time to use your MA OEP.

If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you can use the MA OEP to do the following: Switch Medicare Advantage Plans. Leave a Medicare Advantage Plan to join Original Medicare (there’s a coordinating drug plan Special Enrollment. Period (SEP)). Add or drop Medicare drug coverage when switching plans.

However, getting a drug plan isn’t guaranteed unless you were in a Medicare Advantage Plan.

You can’t use the MA OEP to do the following:  Switch from one standalone Medicare drug plan to another standalone Medicare drug plan. Join a Medicare Advantage Plan if you’re in Original Medicare. Change Medicare drug plans if you’re in Original Medicare. Make enrollment changes if you have a Medicare Savings Account (MSA), Medicare Cost Plan, or PACE plan.