Key Takeaways
Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs) allow people to join or switch Part D plans outside their Initial Enrollment Period or the Annual Open Enrollment Period.
Learn what circumstances allow for SEPs, and how to help Medicare beneficiaries with enrollment.
Outside the annual Part D Open Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) and Initial Enrollment Period, most people with Medicare only can join or switch Part D plans if they have a Special Enrollment Period (SEP).
Some examples of these SEPs occur when a person moves, if they are affected by a weather or other emergency, and if they are receiving help paying for their medications through Extra Help or a State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program.
This fact sheet outlines the variety of these Special Enrollment Periods, who qualifies, and when coverage begins for each.
