Countdown until Medicare Annual Enrollment opens
Until AEP opens October 15, 2026
This counts down to when the federal review window opens. It is not a sales deadline. You can review and stay.
Write this down: October 15 through December 7. That is Medicare Annual Enrollment. Coverage you pick in that window starts January 1.
It is for people who already have Medicare and may change Advantage or Part D, or move between Original Medicare and Advantage. It is not the seven-month window around your 65th birthday. It is not the marketplace window for people under 65 buying ACA coverage.
Who it applies to
You have Medicare now. You want to check whether next year’s plan still fits your doctors and drugs. You may stay. You may switch. Both are allowed. Staying without looking is the risk, not staying after you looked.
If you are turning 65, use the Initial Enrollment Period around your birthday. If you are leaving a job, ask about a Special Enrollment Period. Do not force those situations into AEP just because the TV ads got louder.
What AEP does not do
It does not mean you must switch. It does not reset Part B late-enrollment penalties. It does not enroll you because you opened a letter. It does not last into January for most people. People already in Advantage have a narrower January–March option. That is a different, smaller window. We will cover it after December 7.
If you want a review on the calendar before the window opens, book it now. October gets busy. The rules do not get simpler under time pressure.
Book a free consult or send a message. Call 702-627-2605. By calling the number above, you will be connected to a licensed insurance agent.
No plan prices, extra benefits, or carrier names on this page. Those belong in a comparison after we know your doctors and drugs.