When is Medicare open enrollment?
The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7 every year, with changes taking effect January 1. During this window you can switch between Medicare Advantage plans, move between Original Medicare and Advantage, and join, drop, or change Part D drug coverage.
Mark those dates the way you mark a birthday, because they do not move and they do not wait. Every September, your current plan mails an Annual Notice of Change describing what it will cost and cover next year. Most people never open it. Open it. That single envelope tells you whether this is a year you can relax or a year you need to shop, and it arrives with exactly enough time to act.
What is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period in January?
From January 1 through March 31, people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan get one additional chance: they can switch to a different Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare with a drug plan. It is a one change window, and people on Original Medicare do not get an equivalent.
Think of this as the second chance window. Every January, some people discover their new plan's network does not include a doctor they assumed it did, or a medication moved to a costlier tier. This window exists for exactly that discovery. The limits matter: one change, Advantage enrollees only, and returning to Original Medicare this way does not guarantee the ability to buy a Supplement without health review. Which is one more reason the fall decision deserves care the first time.
Do I need to do anything if I am happy with my plan?
Your plan will renew automatically, but happy this year does not guarantee happy next year, because the plan itself changes annually: premiums, networks, drug formularies, and extra benefits all reset each January. The smart minimum is a short annual review of your notice of change before deciding to stand still.
Standing still is a decision, and it should be an informed one. Our annual review with clients takes minutes when nothing meaningful changed and becomes invaluable when something did. We check three things: are your doctors still in network, are your medications still covered on reasonable terms, and did the costs move against you. Three questions, once a year, and you will never be the person surprised in January.
How should I prepare before the window opens?
Three lists, ready by early October: your doctors, your medications with dosages, and any changes coming in your life next year, such as travel plans or a move. With those in hand, comparing plans becomes fast and factual instead of overwhelming, whether you do it yourself or sit with an agent.
The people who struggle in enrollment season are almost never struggling with the decision. They are struggling with disorganization under a deadline. The lists solve it. Bring them to us and we run the comparison across companies at no cost, in English, Spanish, or Hebrew, and you decide with everything laid out plainly. Book early in the window rather than late, because the closer December 7 gets, the more rushed every conversation in this industry becomes, and rushed is the enemy of chosen well.