AEP and OEP are two different times when Medicare members may be able to make changes to their coverage. AEP takes place each year from October 15 to December 7, while OEP runs from January 1 to March 31. During AEP, you can make certain changes to your Medicare Advantage (Part C) or Medicare prescription drug (Part D) coverage. Changes made during AEP take effect on January 1 of the following year.
How Medicare works
Learning about Medicare can be a daunting task. But it doesn’t have to be. We are here, helping you understand the basics of Medicare (Parts A, B, C and D), the three main types of Medicare (Original, Medicare Advantage and Supplemental) and the enrollment timeline (all the way from signing to switching when a plan doesn’t meet your needs).
Open Enrollment
Learn more about what OEP means for Medicare Advantage members
OEP stands for Open Enrollment Period. It’s an enrollment period that allows Medicare members to change their Medicare Advantage plan. OEP begins January 1 and ends March 31.
During OEP, if you are unhappy with your Medicare Advantage plan, this annual window allows you to make a one-time change to your existing Medicare Advantage coverage.
Perhaps you enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan without fully understanding its benefits. The Medicare Advantage OEP allows you to switch to another Medicare Advantage plan based on what you like or dislike about your current coverage.
OEP frequently asked questions
You can only make one change during this enrollment window. Once a change has been made, you cannot change your Medicare Advantage plan again until the next AEP.
During Medicare OEP, you can change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another or drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B).
No. During the Open Enrollment Period (OEP), you cannot switch from one Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D) to another. However, if you're enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can leave that plan and return to Original Medicare. If you do, you may also join a standalone Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D).
If you make a change during OEP, your new Medicare plan will go into effect the first day of the next month following your enrollment.
Remember, OEP ends on March 31 and you can only make one change to your existing Medicare Advantage plan during OEP.