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Special Enrollment Period

A time outside of standard enrollment periods when you can sign up for or change Medicare coverage due to qualifying life events.
Aaron Sims
Reviewed byAaron Sims

Medicare Term

Definition

A time outside of standard enrollment periods when you can sign up for or change Medicare coverage due to qualifying life events.

Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs) allow you to make changes to your Medicare coverage outside of the standard enrollment windows. Qualifying events include losing employer coverage, moving to a new service area, losing Medicaid eligibility, or being newly eligible for Extra Help. Each SEP has specific rules about what changes you can make and how long the window lasts.

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