When Can You Enroll in Medicare? Key Dates & Deadlines
Miss a Medicare enrollment window and you could pay a lifelong penalty. Here are the dates that matter.
Your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP)
When you first become eligible (usually around your 65th birthday), you get a 7-month Initial Enrollment Period: the 3 months before your birthday month, your birthday month, and the 3 months after. Signing up early helps avoid gaps and penalties.
Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): Oct 15 – Dec 7
Each fall, anyone with Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Changes take effect January 1. This is the busiest — and most important — time to review your coverage.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: Jan 1 – Mar 31
If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance early in the year to switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare.
Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs)
Life events — moving, losing employer coverage, qualifying for Extra Help — can open a Special Enrollment Period outside the normal windows. A licensed agent can confirm whether you qualify.
Official resources
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Get my free Medicare quoteThis article is for general educational purposes only and is not medical, legal, tax, or insurance advice. Edlando is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare, CMS, or any government agency. We do not offer every plan available in your area; any information we provide is limited to the plans we do offer. To learn about all your options, contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.