Medicare Annual Enrollment 2025: Your Top Questions Answered

Medicare Annual Election Period runs from October 15 to December 7 each year. As a financial professional, helping clients understand this period is key to avoiding costly mistakes and ensuring their coverage still fits their needs. Below, we answer the most-searched questions about Medicare to make this year’s Open Enrollment season simple and stress-free.

Medicare Annual Enrollment Period or AEP is the time when people already enrolled in Medicare can make changes to their Medicare health plan (Part C, Medicare Advantage) or prescription drug plan (Part D). It matters because every year insurance carriers adjust plan premiums, benefits, drug formularies, provider networks, and cost-sharing. If someone stays in a plan without reviewing those changes, they may end up paying more or losing access to coverage without realizing it.

2. When is Medicare Annual Enrollment (AEP) for 2025?

Annual Enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. Any selections made in that window take effect January 1 of the next year. Plan marketing can begin earlier, but actual enrollment changes can’t be processed until October 15.

3. Who can change their Medicare plan during Open Enrollment?

If you have Medicare Advantage (Part C) or Part D prescription drug coverage, you can switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another, drop Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare (Parts A & B), join a standalone Part D plan (if in Original Medicare), or change your Part D plan. However, you generally cannot use AEP to enroll in Medicare Part A or B if you missed your Initial Enrollment Period, or to buy or change a Medigap supplement plan (unless under special state rules).

4. What if I’m newly turning 65? When can I enroll in Medicare?

New enrollees have an Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) that spans seven months: the three months before your 65th birthday, your birthday month, and the three months after. Missing this window may result in waiting for the General Enrollment Period and paying a late-enrollment penalty.

5. What is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA-OEP)?

The MA Open Enrollment Period runs from January 1 through March 31 and is only for people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan at the start of the year. During this period, you can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or drop Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare (with a standalone Part D plan). You cannot join an MA plan during OEP if you weren’t already in one.

6. What is a Special Enrollment Period (SEP), and when does it apply?

A Special Enrollment Period (SEP) allows you to make changes to your plan outside the normal enrollment windows if you experience certain life events. Common examples include moving to a new ZIP code or service area, losing employer-based coverage, qualifying for “Extra Help” for drug costs, gaining or losing Medicaid, or entering or leaving a nursing home. SEP rules can be complex and vary by situation.

7. What should I review before deciding whether to change plans?

Before deciding, review your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which outlines updates to premium, benefits, cost sharing, and networks for next year. Check your Formulary/Drug List to ensure medications remain covered, and verify your Provider Network to confirm your doctors and specialists still participate. Review your Out-of-Pocket Maximum & Cost-Sharing, since even small copay changes can add up. Consider Additional Benefits like dental, vision, hearing, and fitness programs, and check if your income now qualifies for financial assistance such as “Extra Help” or low-income subsidies.

8. Can I drop Medicare Advantage and go back to Original Medicare?

Yes. During Open Enrollment, you can drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare (Parts A & B) and also enroll in a Part D drug plan. However, once you switch to Original Medicare, you generally lose access to extra benefits such as vision or dental coverage. If you want to add a Medigap supplement, acceptance may depend on state rules and medical underwriting.

9. If I miss Open Enrollment, what options do I have?

If you miss AEP, you may have to wait until the next enrollment period unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) based on life circumstances. If you have Medicare Advantage, you might still be able to make a change during the MA-OEP (Jan 1 – Mar 31) if eligible.