Enrolling in a Medicare Plan Outside of AEP

Beneficiaries can make the following changes during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, which is January 1 through March 31 of each year.

• Beneficiaries on Medicare Advantage plans (with or without drug coverage) can switch to other Medicare Advantage plans (with or without drug coverage).
• Beneficiaries can disenroll from their Medicare Advantage plans and return to Original Medicare. If they choose to do so, they will be able to join a Medicare prescription drug plan.
• If beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans during their Initial Enrollment Periods, they can switch to other Medicare Advantage plans (with or without drug coverage) or go back to Original Medicare (with or without drug coverage) within the first three months they have Medicare.

During this Open Enrollment Period, beneficiaries cannot:

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan
• Join a Medicare prescription drug plan if they have Original Medicare
• Switch from one Medicare prescription drug plan to another if they have Original Medicare

Beneficiaries can only make one change during this period, and any changes they make will be effective the first of the month after the health plan gets their request.

Special Enrollment Periods

Outside of AEP, Medicare beneficiaries can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan or prescription drug plan after a special event that qualifies them for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP).

To enroll during an SEP, we must receive an Attestation of Eligibility form—which must include the date of the qualifying event—with the application. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services require us to get that date, so we cannot process an application until it is confirmed.

You can find enrollment and attestations forms on HealthAllianceMedicare.org or in the Forms & Resources section of Your Health Alliance for brokers.

Learn more about SEPs and other enrollment periods on the Understand Medicare section of our website.