What the Annual Enrollment Period is

The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, usually shortened to AEP, is the main yearly window when people who already have Medicare can review their coverage and make changes for the year ahead. It runs October 15 through December 7 every year, and any change you make during that window takes effect January 1 of the following year.

Think of it as Medicare's open enrollment season. It is the one time of year almost anyone on Medicare can adjust their Medicare Advantage or prescription drug coverage without needing a special reason. Here in Charlotte and across North Carolina, this is the stretch when you will see the most advertising, the most mailers, and the most pressure to act — which is exactly why it helps to slow down and look at your own situation clearly.

What you can do during AEP

During the October 15 to December 7 window, you can:

  • Join a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan for the first time, if you have Original Medicare now.
  • Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to a different Medicare Advantage plan.
  • Drop Medicare Advantage and go back to Original Medicare (and add a stand-alone Part D drug plan).
  • Join a Part D prescription drug plan, switch to a different one, or drop your drug coverage. Be careful before dropping drug coverage entirely — if you go without other creditable drug coverage and enroll in Part D again later, Medicare adds a late enrollment penalty of 1% of the national base beneficiary premium for each month you went without coverage, for as long as you have Part D.

Whatever you choose, the new coverage starts January 1. If you make more than one change during the window, generally the last valid choice you make by December 7 is the one that takes effect — confirm your final selection at Medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

What AEP is NOT

It is easy to mix AEP up with other Medicare windows, so here is what it does not cover.

It is not your first sign-up window

AEP is for people already enrolled in Medicare. When you first become eligible, you use your Initial Enrollment Period — the 7 months around your 65th birthday (the 3 months before your birthday month, the month itself, and the 3 months after). If you are turning 65 soon, that is your window, not AEP.

It is not for buying or changing Medigap

AEP applies to Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans. It does not govern Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies. Medigap has its own one-time 6-month Open Enrollment Period that starts when you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. Outside that window, applying for a Medigap policy can involve health questions (medical underwriting), so timing matters. That is a separate conversation from AEP.

It is not the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period

There is a second, smaller window called the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 through March 31. That one is only for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan, and it allows just one change — switching to another Medicare Advantage plan, or dropping it to return to Original Medicare with a Part D plan. You cannot use it to move from Original Medicare into Medicare Advantage. AEP in the fall is the broader window; the January–March window is a limited follow-up.

Why AEP matters even if you are happy with your plan

Many people assume that if their coverage worked this year, it will work the same way next year. That is not always true. Medicare Advantage and Part D plans can change every year — and they usually announce those changes in the fall, right before AEP. From one year to the next, a plan can adjust its:

  • Monthly premium, deductible, and copays.
  • Drug formulary — the list of covered medications and which cost tier each one falls into.
  • Provider and pharmacy network, meaning a doctor or pharmacy that was in-network could move out.
  • Extra benefits, such as any dental, vision, or hearing coverage some Medicare Advantage plans include.

Your own life changes too. You may be taking new prescriptions, seeing new specialists, or traveling more. A plan that fit last year may not be the best match now. AEP is your built-in yearly checkpoint to make sure your coverage still fits the medications you take, the doctors you see, and your budget.

How to compare your options the right way

If you decide to look at Medicare Advantage or Part D plans during AEP, the official Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov lets you compare on the things that actually shape your experience:

  • Your doctors: confirm each provider you want to keep is in the plan's network — this matters most with HMO-style plans.
  • Your drugs: enter your actual prescriptions to see whether each plan covers them and what you would pay.
  • Your pharmacies: the same plan can cost different amounts at a preferred versus a standard pharmacy.
  • Total yearly cost, not just premium: a $0-premium plan is not automatically the cheapest once you add up deductibles, copays, and coinsurance for the care you actually use.
  • Star Ratings: Medicare rates plans on a 1-to-5-star quality scale; a low rating is a caution flag worth noticing.

One helpful figure to keep in mind for 2026: the Part D prescription drug program now has an annual out-of-pocket cap of $2,100. Once your covered drug costs reach that limit, you pay $0 for covered drugs for the rest of the year. That cap can make a real difference for people on expensive medications, and it is one more reason a yearly review of your drug plan is worth the time.

A note on the noise

Between October 15 and December 7, Charlotte mailboxes and TV screens fill up with Medicare ads, and no single plan is "best" for everyone. What is right for a neighbor may be a poor fit for you, because it all comes down to your specific doctors, drugs, and budget. If a message feels pushy or promises something that sounds too good, it is fine to pause and get a neutral second look before you sign anything.

How The Jordan Insurance Agency helps

The Jordan Insurance Agency is an independent, full-time, licensed insurance agency based in Charlotte, North Carolina, serving people across the state. Because we are independent, we represent multiple carriers rather than a single company, so we can compare your options side by side and help you weigh honest trade-offs instead of steering you toward one product.

During AEP, we sit down with you and look at the plan you have now against the plans available for next year — checking that your doctors are still in network, that your prescriptions are still covered at a reasonable cost, and that nothing important changed quietly in the fine print. We complete our annual AHIP and carrier certifications, carry E&O coverage, and use real enrollment technology, and we come back to review your plan every year at renewal rather than enrolling you once and disappearing. Working with an experienced, certified independent agent costs you nothing extra — the carrier pays the agent, and your premium is the same whether you enroll on your own or with our help. If you would like a calm, no-pressure review before December 7, we are glad to walk through it with you.

Plan availability & disclaimer

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. The Jordan Insurance Agency is not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program.