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Medicare Enrollment Windows

What's open to you — and the one door that won't reopen.

Medicare has a handful of windows, and a couple you only get one shot at. Tell us where you are and we'll map yours — what's open now, and what's worth not leaving to the last minute. Nothing here is a recommendation; it's the conversation an unbiased guide would walk you through.

Which sounds most like you right now? I'm approaching 65. I'm 65 or older and still covered through work — mine or my spouse's. I'm leaving or losing employer coverage (retiring, or being offered COBRA). I'm already on Original Medicare (Part A & B). I'm on a Medicare Advantage plan and thinking about going back.

Are you covered now through a job — yours or your spouse's — at an employer with 20+ employees? That coverage lets you delay Part B without a penalty.

Whose active employer coverage is it, and is the employer 20+ employees?

Are you 65 or older?

When does (or did) your active work coverage end?

When did your Part B coverage start? Your 6-month Medigap window runs from then.

When did your Medicare Advantage coverage start?

Is this the first Medicare Advantage plan you've ever had? First-ever Advantage — either as your first Medicare choice, or after dropping a Medigap policy to try it.

Before this Advantage plan, did you have a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy? If you dropped Medigap to try Advantage, you may be able to get that same policy back.

Your state Some states add extra Medigap rights.

Your map

The one-way door

Other windows, for context

You've got the picture. Now what?

A map shows you where the doors are. Whether to walk through one is a conversation, not a calculation.

Talk it through with Fern

Your situation, walked through with an educational guide that sells nothing — and never earns a commission on what you choose.

Ask Fern something like

Meet Fern

Keep a copy

We'll email your windows so you have them when you're ready — no spam, no sales calls.

✓ On its way. Check your inbox — and your spam folder, just in case.

^* State rules vary — some add Medigap rights beyond the federal ones, like a yearly or birthday-rule window or year-round guaranteed issue. Research your state's specific options, or ask Fern.

Common questions about Medicare timing

When is my Medigap open enrollment window?

It's the six-month period that starts the month you're 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During it, you can buy any Medigap policy sold in your state at the best rate, with no health questions. It happens once and doesn't repeat.

What happens if I miss my Medigap window?

Outside that window (and outside specific guaranteed-issue situations), insurers in most states can review your health and charge you more or turn you down. A few states have more generous ongoing rules — the tool flags whether yours is one.

Can I still get a supplement after leaving Medicare Advantage?

Sometimes, yes — there's a 12-month trial right the first time you try Advantage, and some other guaranteed-issue situations. A closed window isn't always the end, which is exactly what this tool helps you check.

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