Medical Expense✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 1/5
The Medicare general enrollment period (GEP), used by individuals who missed their initial enrollment period, runs each year:
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
The Medicare general enrollment period (GEP) runs from January 1 through March 31 each year. Individuals who did not enroll in Part B during their initial enrollment period and who do not qualify for a special enrollment period may enroll during the GEP, with coverage beginning July 1 of that year. GEP enrollment typically triggers a late enrollment penalty. The January-through-March window is distinct from the annual open enrollment period for Part D and Medicare Advantage, which runs October 15 through December 7.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) July 1 through September 30 is not the GEP; that window does not correspond to a Medicare enrollment period.
- C) October 15 through December 7 is the annual open enrollment period for Medicare Advantage and Part D, not the GEP.
- D) The GEP spans three months from January 1 through March 31, not the single month of April.
Memory hook
Missed your IEP? The GEP door opens January 1 and closes March 31, coverage starts in July.