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General Enrollment Period (GEP) begins January 1st of each year and lasts until March 31st. The GEP exists to allow people who didn’t sign up for Original Medicare when they were first eligible to sign up during this window. However, there are late enrollment penalty fees for some people who sign up for Medicare during the GEP (see below) so it is still advisable to sign up during your Initial Enrollment Period if possible.
You are eligible to sign up for Medicare in the seven-month Initial Enrollment Period—three months before your 65th birthday month, the month of your birthday, and three months after. If you miss your Initial Enrollment Period, you may sign up for Medicare during the General Enrollment Period between January 1 and March 31 each year, with your Medicare benefits going into effect July of that year.
If you sign up for Original Medicare under GEP, your coverage will begin July 1st. This means until Medicare coverage begins in July, you will remain uncovered. You also may receive a late enrollment penalty for not having coverage until July. This is why it’s generally advised to sign up for Original Medicare when you’re first eligible instead of waiting for GEP.
Yes, a penalty of 10% will apply to your Original Medicare premium for every 12 months you went without coverage since you were first eligible for Medicare.
In most cases you will get a late enrollment penalty for signing up for Original Medicare under GEP instead of when you are first eligible. If you were covered by your or your spouse’s employer plan and that coverage ends, you will qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP).
This SEP is an eight-month window where you can sign up for Original Medicare without a late enrollment penalty. If you enroll with this SEP, your Original Medicare benefits begin the 1st of the month after the month you enroll. However, eligibility for an SEP is triggered by special circumstances. If you aren’t sure if your circumstances qualify you, consider calling Medicare to get more information about your options.
During the GEP, there is an overlap with the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. However, to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan you must already be enrolled in Medicare, so during the GEP you won’t be eligible to enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan or Medicare Advantage plan.
If you sign up for Medicare during GEP, you will be able to sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan during a three-month window from April to June. If you sign up during this time, your Medicare Advantage coverage will go into effect on July 1st.
If you’re interested in signing up for a Medicare Supplement plan, you will qualify for a Medigap Open Enrollment Period from July to December. This will allow you to apply for any Medicare Supplement plan available in your area without underwriting.
