By law, nearly every Medicare Part A and Part B recipient is entitled to a Medicare Advantage plan. There is only one health question, which is related to End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or kidney failure. Everyone else is entitled to a plan, as long as they live in the area where the plan is offered.

Every year, from November 15th–December 31st is an Annual Election Period (AEP). During the AEP, all Medicare recipients have an election period to change their Medicare insurance, with essentially no restrictions other than qualification. In addition, during the Open Enrollment Period (OEP) from January 1st–March 31st, Medicare recipients are granted another election to select or change their MA plans. The only additional restriction during the OEP is that one cannot join or drop the Medicare Part D drug benefit from Medicare.

In addition, there are a number of Special Election Periods (SEPs) that recipients are entitled to outside of the AEP and OEP. For more information, see the list of the most common SEPs.

In order to enroll in a plan, you must submit an application and have that application accepted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Assuming there are no questions on your application, enrollments submitted November 15th–December 31st during the AEP will be effective January 1, and enrollments at all other times will be effective the 1st of following month.

Many people like help deciding which plan is a good choice for them. Plans vary widely from company to company and from place to place, and when comparing plans between companies it’s important to compare the fine print—not just the premiums. That’s what Senior Educators Insurance Services was created for—to provide free, unbiased assistance to Medicare recipients to help them choose appropriate coverage. To request help now, please fill out the short informational form here so a licensed representative can be well informed about your healthcare preferences. Or simply give us a call at 1-800-236-4613 and speak with a trained and licensed representative now!

If you prefer to do the research by yourself, we’ve created a number of tools to help you do so. First, we have created the Senior Educators Insurance Services’ Top 10 Tips for Navigating Medicare, which captures a very high-level perspective on what to consider based on our years of experience. Second, we have created a plan comparison engine that shows you a list of the plans available in your area. To access that tool, enter your zip code on the side of this page and click the “Find Plans” button. We hope that if you find a plan through our tools, you’ll enroll through our organization, as it’s how we can afford to provide excellent, unbiased information and help.