Medicare open enrollment and other enrollment periods
Medicare's Open Enrollment Period runs from October 15 to December 7 every year. Changes you make then take effect on January 1. Your first chance to sign up is the seven months around your 65th birthday.
Your Initial Enrollment Period starts in
March 2027
- You turn 65 in
- June 2027
- It ends at the end of
- September 2027
- Length
- 7 months
It starts 3 months before the month you turn 65 and ends 3 months after it. You may be eligible earlier if you have a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease or ALS.
| Enrollment period | When | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Enrollment Period | 7 months: from 3 months before the month you turn 65 to 3 months after it | Join any plan. You need both Part A and Part B to join a Medicare Advantage Plan, and either one to join a drug plan. |
| Open Enrollment Period | October 15 to December 7 | Join, drop or switch a Medicare Advantage Plan or a drug plan, or move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Coverage starts January 1. |
| Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period | January 1 to March 31 | Only if you are already in a Medicare Advantage Plan: switch to another one, or go back to Original Medicare and join a separate drug plan. |
The Open Enrollment deadline
For coverage to start on January 1, the plan has to get your request by December 7. That is the date that matters, not the date you post it.
When coverage starts in your Initial Enrollment Period
If you ask to join a plan before your Part A or Part B starts, the plan's coverage starts the same day they do. If you ask after they have started, it starts on the first of the month after the plan gets your request.
If you chose a Medicare Advantage Plan first
If you joined a Medicare Advantage Plan during your Initial Enrollment Period, you can change to another one or go back to Original Medicare within the first 3 months you have Medicare Part A and Part B.
Why the dates matter
Signing up late can cost you for as long as you have the coverage. The late enrollment penalty calculator shows how much.
Questions people ask
When is Medicare open enrollment?
October 15 to December 7 each year. Changes take effect on January 1, and the plan must get your request by December 7.
When can I first sign up for Medicare?
Generally in your Initial Enrollment Period: 7 months, starting 3 months before the month you turn 65 and ending 3 months after it.
What is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period?
January 1 to March 31, for people already in a Medicare Advantage Plan. You can switch to another one, or go back to Original Medicare and join a separate drug plan.
Check our work
Every figure on this page was read from these official documents. Follow the links and compare.
- Joining a planMedicare.gov. Read on November 12, 2026.
- Avoid late enrollment penaltiesMedicare.gov. Read on November 12, 2026.