Medicare Enrollment Periods – 2019: Initial Enrollment Period (IEP), ICEP and Others

UPDATED Mar. 6, 2019.  The new video Initial Coverage Election Period (ICEP), Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) and other Medicare Enrollment Periods – 2019 has been released on our YouTube channel.

Here is the script of this video. Find more on ICEP, IEP and other Medicare Enrollment Periods in Medicare Advantage Enrollment: When can I enroll?

The Script for the video “Initial Coverage Election Period (ICEP), Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) and other Medicare Enrollment Periods – 2019“

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Do you consider enrolling in Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug Plan? You may do it ONLY at the specific time. This video will address in depth Initial Enrollment Period (IEP), Initial Coverage Enrollment Period (ICEP), Annual Election Period (AEP) and other Medicare enrollment periods for Parts C and D.

• Do you know the difference between ICEP and IEP? Learning it will help you to avoid delay in Medicare Advantage enrollment if you delay your Part B.
• Do you know that the recently introduced enrollment period effectively extend the Annual Election Period?
• Do you know that a wide variety of Special Election Periods will allow you to enroll in Medicare Advantage outside of Annual Election Period?
• Do you know that Special Election Period for Dual-Eligible recipients having Medicare and Medicaid or for people having Extra Help has been changed?

You’ll find all of this and MUCH MORE from this video.

My name is Gregory Lazarev, and I am the President of Liberty Medicare.  Liberty Medicare is a licensed independent insurance agency specializing in various Medicare plans for people above age 65 or on disability.  We are helping people in many US states to compare, select and enroll in the BEST Medicare plans.

Closed Captions are available, please use it at your convenience.

Let’s get started!

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Initial Enrollment Period (IEP)

• An Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is a 7-month period that begins three months before you turn age 65, or, in the case of disability, three months before your 25th month of disability. It includes the 3 months before, the month of, and the 3 months after the triggering event to be eligible for Medicare.
• You may make ONLY ONE IEP election even if IEP has not expired.
• You may use IEP for enrollment as follows:
  • If you are new to Medicare and have the same effective dates for Part A and Part B, then you may enroll in Medicare Advantage plan with Prescription Drug coverage, known as MAPD plan, OR
  • If you are new to Medicare and enrolled in either Part A or Part B, then you may enroll in Medicare Prescription Drug Plan

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Initial Coverage Enrollment Period (ICEP)

• Initial Coverage Enrollment Period (ICEP) maybe 3 months or 7 months
  • if you are new to Medicare and signed up for both Part A and Part B during the IEP, then ICEP is identical to IEP and lasts 7 months
  • if you have delayed Part B enrollment, then ICEP lasts 3 months and ends the last day of the month before you are enrolled in both Parts A and B. In other words, ICEP ends just before your Part B begins.  This is obviously very confusing.

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Initial Coverage Enrollment Period (cont)

• You may use ICEP for enrollment into MA/MAPD only (not PDP) as follows:
  • If you are new to Medicare and have the same effective dates for Part A and Part B, then you may enroll in Medicare Advantage plan without Prescription Drug coverage, known as MA plan, OR
  • If your IEP period expired and you delayed Part B enrollment, then you may enroll in Medicare Advantage plan with or without Rx coverage (MA or MAPD) within 3 months before Part B effective date
• You may make ONLY ONE ICEP election even if ICEP has not expired.

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Initial Coverage Enrollment Period (cont)

• EXAMPLE
  • Mary’s 65th birthday is in June 2017. Rather than to enroll in both Medicare Parts A and B, she just joins Part A. She continues to work and is covered by her employer group health plan. Ultimately, she retires the next year, gets 8-months Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for people covered under current employment to enroll in Part B. She enrolls in Part B effective March 1, 2018.
  • Her ICEP to enroll in the Medicare Advantage plan is 3 months – from December 1, 2017 through February 28, 2018. It is quite confusing that ICEP is over before the effective date for Part B. If Mary missed ICEP (by not being familiar with the rules) and does not have any Special Election Period, then her next opportunity to enroll in Medicare Advantage would be at Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) that runs from October 15 through December 7.  The effective date of her Medicare Advantage plan will be January 1, 2019 – 10-month delay.

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Annual Election Period (AEP)

The Annual Election Period, also called Medicare Open Enrollment, runs from October 15 to December 7 every year.

During this time frame, people can join, change or drop an MA (Medicare Advantage) or Part D plan.

In particular,

• If you had Original Medicare and did not enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, you may enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan with or without Prescription Drug Coverage during Annual Election Period.
• If you had Original Medicare and did not enroll in Part D plan, you may enroll in a Part D plan during AEP.
• If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D plan, you may change a plan or disenroll from your plan during the Annual Election Period. By disenrolling from Medicare Advantage Plan, you’ll return back to Original Medicare, and then you can enroll in standalone PDP plan and optionally in Medicare Supplement plan.
• If you are already in a standalone Part D plan, you may change a plan or disenroll from your plan during the Annual Election Period.

Be careful with your changes. For example, if you are in the Medicare Advantage plan with Prescription Drug Coverage (MAPD) and you decide to join the stand-alone Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP), you’ll be disenrolled from your MAPD plan and return back to Original Medicare.

You may make more than one change during the AEP. Your last change received during that period is the one that counts. The last or only change made during the AEP will be effective January 1 of the following year.

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Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP)

• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period will allow people enrolled in MA or MAPD plan to have more time to change or disenroll from their Medicare Advantage plans.
• It runs from January 1st through March 31^st and allows a one-time election.
• People enrolled in a MAPD plan may use the OEP to switch to another MAPD plan, or to MA-only plan, or to Original Medicare with or without a PDP.
• People enrolled in an MA-only plan may switch to another MA-only plan, or to MAPD plan, or to Original Medicare with or without a PDP.
• Members can only enroll in a new Part D plan if they have disenrolled from a Medicare Advantage Plan.  This enrollment period does not allow for Part D changes for individuals enrolled in Original Medicare having stand-alone PDPs.

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Special Election Periods (SEPs)

Outside of major enrollment periods such as Initial Enrollment and Initial Coverage Enrollment Periods (IEP/ICEP), Annual Election Period (AEP), and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP), you may change your coverage only during Special Election Periods (SEPs) if you are qualified.  Here is the list of major Special Election Periods.

Permanent Move

            Condition: You move permanently. You have SEP if you move out of the area of your Medicare Advantage / Part D plan. You also have SEP if your plan is in the new coverage area, but more plans are available there.

            SEP Timing: If you’ve notified the plan before you move, your SEP starts a month before you move and lasts up to two months after the move. If you’ve notified the plan after the move, your SEP starts the month you tell the plan and lasts two more months thereafter.

Drop employer/union coverage

            Condition: You are disenrolled from an employer or union group health plan to enroll in a Medicare Advantage or Part D.

            SEP Timing: Two months after the month your coverage through the group plan ends.

Eligible for Medicaid

          Condition:  You have Medicaid

         SEP Timing: The first month you become eligible for Medicaid. As long as you have Medicaid, you can switch health or drug plans once per quarter during the first 9 months of the year.

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Special Election Periods (cont)

Eligible for Extra Help

           Condition:  You become eligible for Extra Help

           SEP Timing: You may join, switch or disenroll from Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage (or stand-alone Prescription Drug plan) beginning the month you become eligible for Extra Help. As long as you have Extra Help, you can switch health or drug plans once per quarter during the first 9 months of the year.

Enrolled in the qualified SPAP program

             Condition:  You are enrolled in a qualified State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program (SPAP)

             SEP Timing: You have a SEP to choose once per year, anytime. You may join or change Medicare Advantage / Part D plan. You may not drop Part D coverage.

Enrolling in the 5 stars plan

             Condition:  You live in an area with an MA and/or Part D plan that has an overall plan performance rating of 5 stars

             SEP Timing: From December 8 through November 30 of each year. Your new coverage will become effective the first day of the following month. You can enroll in a 5-star plan only once during this timeframe.

Now a couple words about Liberty Medicare, and how we may help you in your selection of Medicare Plans.

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• Liberty Medicare is a full service, licensed independent insurance agency specializing in various Medicare plans (Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) for people above age 65 or on disability.
• Our services are offered in the following states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Illinois, and Ohio.
• There is NO CHARGE for our service – it is absolutely free for you.

Independent insurance agencies like ours are provided a commission from the insurance companies whenever we enroll an individual in one of their plans. Whether you apply to an insurance company directly on your own or if you apply through us, your premium will be EXACTLY the same – a commission charge is always part of the premium.

• Medicare is a complex and confusing subject.

Rather than individually calling numerous health insurance companies – where you will often endlessly sit on hold only to tell your story multiple times to multiple people – you can instead dial one number: 877-657-7477.  Our 8-years of business experience MAY save you time and money, and help you to avoid future surprises and disappointments.

We’ll help you to select and enroll into one or several Medicare Plans that are BEST FIT FOR  YOU.

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• Contact us by visiting our website (www.libertymedicare.com), or by sending us the e-mail at info@libertymedicare.com. You also may call us at 657.7477.  
• For more information on “ICEP, IEP and other Medicare Enrollment Periods” visit our page: “https://libertymedicare.com/medicare-plans/medicare-advantage-plans/enrollment/”

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• Our Liberty Medicare channel in one stop shop for all your Medicare needs – Original Medicare, Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans, Medicare Advantage plans, and Prescription Drug plans.
• If you like this video and found its tips helpful, then give us ‘like’ and subscribe to our channel.

Stay tuned!

Let Liberty Medicare Help You

Liberty Medicare is here to help you every step of the way while you select and enroll in the best and most suitable Medicare Plan.

We represent many well-known Medicare providers in Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Learn more about all the benefits of working with Liberty Medicare.

Do you have questions about Medicare that you would like answered? Send us your questions and get the help you need. You also may give us a call at 877-657-7477, and you will be connected to a licensed agent/broker.