What is a Medicare Special Enrollment Period?

Have you heard of Medicare Special Enrollment Periods or SEPs? SEPs allow you to make changes to your Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug coverage when certain events occur. Each SEP has different rules regarding when you can make changes and the type of changes you can make.

Special circumstances that may allow for an SEP include:

• A change to where you live such as a new address outside of your plan’s service area, a new address within your plan’s service area but that has new plan options, or moving back to the U.S. after living outside of the country
• Losing your current coverage due to no longer being eligible for Medicaid, leaving employer coverage, or involuntarily losing prescription drug coverage that is as good as Medicare prescription drug coverage
• A chance to get other coverage such as employer coverage or other prescription drug coverage that is as good as Medicare prescription drug coverage
• Your plan changes its contract with Medicare
• You are eligible for Medicare and Medicaid
• You qualify for Extra Help paying for Medicare prescription drug coverage

For more information about Medicare Special Enrollment Periods, visit https://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/joining-a-health-or-drug-plan/special-circumstances-special-enrollment-periods.