Enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan

3 things to know about Medicare Part C enrollment:

1. There are certain Medicare Advantage enrollment periods established to add, change, or drop coverage.
2. If you are enrolling for the first time, you should apply for a Medicare Advantage plan during the 7-month Initial Enrollment Period around your 65th birthday or 24th month of disability benefits.
3. Special Enrollment Periods may let you buy a plan outside of the main enrollment periods.

Medicare requires that you enroll, disenroll, or make changes to your Medicare Advantage plan only during pre-determined enrollment periods.

How to enroll

Once you find a Medicare Advantage plan you wish to enroll in, you may be able to apply online, over the phone, or using a paper enrollment form from the plan sponsor.

A licensed insurance agent can help you compare plans and apply over the phone. Simply call 1-800-557-60591-800-557-6059.

When you apply for coverage, you must provide your Medicare number and the dates that your Medicare Part A and Part B coverage began, according to Medicare.gov. These dates are listed on your Medicare card.

When to enroll or change your coverage

You need to wait for an enrollment period to sign up for, make changes to, or leave a Medicare Advantage plan.

Find your personal situation below to determine when you can enroll in, leave, or make changes to a Medicare Advantage plan.

The following sections outline the most common situations. If none of these situations apply to you, you may be able to qualify for a special enrollment period depending on your personal situation. Medicare.gov provides a full list of special circumstances that may qualify you for a special enrollment period.

First-time Medicare Advantage plan enrollees

You are 65 and signing up for Medicare Part A and Part B

You can join a Medicare Advantage plan during your Initial Enrollment Period.

This enrollment period is 7 months long. It starts 3 full months before the month in which you turn 65. It continues through the month of your birthday, and then for another 3 full months.

Example: You turn 65 on June 5. Your Initial Enrollment Period starts on March 1 (3 full months before June) and ends September 30 (3 full months after June).

You have Medicare Part A and are signing up for Part B during General Enrollment

You can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan between April 1 and June 30.

You are disabled & under 65

You can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan after you have been getting Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board benefits for 21 full months. After that point, you have 7 full months to enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan. Your coverage will begin on your 25th month of receiving disability benefits.

If you have Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), you are eligible the first month you receive your disability benefits.

If you have End Stage Renal Disease, you typically cannot enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan.

Current Medicare Advantage plan enrollees

You want to drop your plan, switch plans or make changes to your plan

You can make changes to your current plan, switch plans, or add drug coverage during the Annual Fall Open Enrollment Period, or AEP, which runs from October 15 to December 7 each year.

You can also switch Medicare Advantage plans or drop your plan to return to Original Medicare during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, which runs from January 1 to March 31 each year.

Special circumstances

In addition to the situations outlined above, you may also be able to add, change, or drop coverage under special circumstances that qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period. The following are a few examples of situations that could qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period:

• Change in address or living situation
• Losing current coverage
• Opportunity for other coverage
• Your current plan changes its contract with Medicare Medicare.gov provides details for each Special Enrollment Period.