If You Missed Medicare Open Enrollment and Have Original Medicare

Medicare’s Annual Election Period is especially important for people with original Medicare (Part A and Part B), because this is when they can:

• Add, drop, or change a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan
• Switch from original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan

If you did not make any changes between October 15 and December 7, Medicare will simply re-enroll you in your current plan for the upcoming year. This automatic renewal prevents gaps in coverage, ensuring that doctor visits, hospital care, and prescriptions continue to be covered as they were before.

However, once December 7 passes, your ability to adjust your plan becomes very limited if you stay with original Medicare. The primary exception is if you qualify for what Medicare calls a Special Enrollment Period (SEP).