Special Enrollment Periods · SEPs
Plain English. Five calm steps. No pressure.
Life doesn't follow Medicare's calendar. A move, a retirement, a change in income or a new home can open a Special Enrollment Period — a chance to sign up or change your coverage outside the usual dates. Here's how to know if you have one.
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Your SEP Path
Read them in order, or jump straight to what you need.
How it fits with Medicare's regular enrollment dates.
Pick what happened and see what you can do.
Every common SEP and its time limit, in one table.
Who to contact, what to have ready, when coverage starts.
When you're ready, compare plans and enroll yourself.
Step 1 What an SEP Is
The "Life Happens" Window
Most Medicare changes can only be made at set times each year. A Special Enrollment Period is an exception — it opens when something changes in your life, and closes after a set number of months.
Medicare's regular enrollment windows:
7 months around your 65th birthday — your first chance to sign up for Parts A, B, D and Medicare Advantage.
Once, at 65October 15 – December 7 every year. Anyone can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
Every fallJanuary 1 – March 31. People already in a Medicare Advantage plan can make one change.
MA members onlyJanuary 1 – March 31. For people who missed signing up for Part A or Part B. A late penalty may apply.
Missed Parts A/BTwo kinds of SEPs: some let you sign up for Part B (and Part A, if you pay for it) without a penalty — those go through Social Security. Others let you join or switch Medicare Advantage or Part D plans — those go through the plan.
Step 2 Find Your Situation
What Happened?
Choose the situation closest to yours. You'll see what you can usually do, how long you have, and where to start.
Your result will appear here.
This tool gives general information only. Medicare, Social Security or your plan decides whether you qualify. Don't see your situation? Ask our AI Assistant or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
Step 3 How Long You Have
Every SEP Has a Deadline
Once an SEP opens, the clock starts. If you miss it, you may have to wait for the next Open Enrollment — and could face a gap in coverage or a late penalty.
| If this happens… | You usually have… | To… |
|---|---|---|
| Moving | ||
| You move out of your plan's area | From the month before your move until 2 full months after* | Switch plans, or go back to Original Medicare |
| You move and have new plan options | The month you move + 2 full months | Switch plans |
| You move back to the U.S. | The month you move + 2 full months | Join a plan |
| Losing other coverage | ||
| You lose job or union coverage | 2 full months after the coverage ends | Join a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan |
| You lose creditable drug coverage | 2 full months after it ends | Join a Part D plan or Medicare Advantage with drugs |
| You lose Medicaid | 3 months from losing it or being notified | Join, switch or drop a plan |
| Your plan leaves Medicare or your area | Dates in the notice your plan mails you | Choose a new plan |
| Help paying costs | ||
| You have Medicaid or Extra Help | Once a month | Switch to a stand-alone drug plan (some may also choose certain integrated plans) |
| You gain or lose Extra Help or Medicaid | 3 months from the change or notice | Join, switch or drop a plan |
| Where you live & other | ||
| You live in a nursing home or similar facility | The whole time you live there, + 2 months after you leave | Join, switch or drop a plan |
| You qualify for a Special Needs Plan | Any time you qualify | Join that Special Needs Plan |
| A 5-star plan is available | Once, December 8 – November 30 | Switch to that 5-star plan |
| You're released from incarceration | 2 full months after release | Join a plan |
* If you tell your plan before you move. If you tell them after, your window starts the month you tell them. Source: Medicare.gov and CMS enrollment guidance.
If you delayed Part B because you had coverage from your own or your spouse's current job, you have 8 months after the job or coverage ends to sign up without a penalty. See the forms you'll need →
8 monthsSocial Security also offers Part B SEPs if you missed signing up because of a disaster or emergency, an employer or health plan error, losing Medicaid, or release from incarceration.
Apply through Social SecurityStep 4 How to Use It
Simple, Once You Know the Steps
There's no separate application for an SEP. You simply enroll — and tell the plan or Social Security which life event gives you the right to do it now.
Write down when your event happened — the date you moved, your coverage ended, or you got a notice. Your deadline counts from there.
Keep letters that show the date, such as a coverage end notice, Medicaid letter, lease or utility bill. You may be asked for them.
For a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, enroll with the plan and choose your SEP reason on the form. For Part B, apply through Social Security.
When does coverage start? For most Medicare Advantage and Part D SEPs, your new coverage begins on the first day of the month after the plan gets your enrollment. Enroll early in your window to avoid a gap.
An SEP isn't a Medigap guarantee. Having an SEP for Medicare Advantage or Part D doesn't automatically let you buy a Medigap policy without health questions. Medigap has its own rules. Read the Medigap guide →
Step 5 Compare & Enroll
When You're Ready — And Only Then
If you have an SEP — or it's Open Enrollment — choose your state to compare the plans we offer and enroll yourself at your own pace.
Not sure you qualify? Call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, or contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for free, unbiased help. You can also see every plan in your area at Medicare.gov.
Signing up, timing and penalties. Part A guide →
Part B guide →
The plans most SEPs let you join or switch. Part D guide →
Medicare Advantage guide →
Its own enrollment rules — and why timing matters. Medigap guide →
No pressure · No sales calls · Your choice, your pace
Common Questions
It's a window outside Medicare's usual enrollment dates that opens when certain life events happen — like moving, losing other coverage, or a change in help paying your costs. It lets you sign up for or change your coverage for a limited time.
No separate application is needed. You enroll in the plan (or apply for Part B through Social Security) and explain which event qualifies you. You may be asked for the date of the event or for proof of it.
It depends on the event. Many last 2 or 3 months. The Part B SEP for people leaving job-based coverage lasts 8 months. A few, like living in a nursing home, last as long as the situation continues.
Usually, yes. If you delayed Part B because of coverage from current work, you have 8 months after that coverage or the job ends to sign up for Part B without a penalty, and 2 full months after it ends to join a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
You may have to wait until the next Open Enrollment (October 15 – December 7) to change Medicare Advantage or Part D plans, or until the General Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31) for Part B. You could also face a gap in coverage or a late penalty.
Not automatically. Medigap has its own rules, called guaranteed issue rights, that apply in certain situations — such as your Medicare Advantage plan leaving your area. Check your state's rules too.
Still have a question? Just ask.
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Education First. Enrollment Second.