There are three times when you can enroll in Medicare: Annual Election Period, Turning 65 and Special Enrollment Periods.
Annual Election Period
Eligible individuals can enroll for 2021 coverage from October 15, 2020 – December 7, 2020.
Turning 65
If you're turning 65, you can enroll in Medicare from the period that extends 3 months before to 3 months after the month of your 65th birthday. For example, if you turn 65 on July 4, you can enroll anytime between April 1 and October 31.
Special Enrollment Periods
In certain situations, you may be able to join, switch or drop Medicare Advantage plans during a Special Enrollment Period. A few examples of a Special Enrollment Period are:
- If you lose creditable coverage (loss of employer group coverage)
- If you make a permanent move into or out of the plan’s service area
- If you have both Medicare and Medicaid
- If you become approved for Low Income Subsidy (LIS — extra help) or NYS EPIC
- If you qualify for any other exceptional conditions determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). To determine elibility, talk to a Univera Healthcare Medicare Sales Advisor at 1-877-406-4823 (TTY: 1-800-662-1220) Monday - Friday from 8 a.m.- 8 p.m.*
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period
From January 1 to March 31, individuals enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan are allowed to make a one-time election to switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or to disenroll from their current plan and obtain coverage through Original Medicare.