Medical Expense✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 2/5
The Medicare Annual Election Period (AEP), during which beneficiaries may enroll in, switch, or drop Part D drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans, occurs:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
Medicare's Annual Election Period (AEP) runs each fall — from October 15 through December 7 — and lets beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare join, switch, or drop Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Part D prescription drug plans, with changes effective January 1 of the following year. This is the regular annual window, distinct from the Initial Enrollment Period and the Special Enrollment Periods that apply to qualifying events. It is a recurring yearly opportunity, not a one-time election.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) The AEP occurs every year; it is not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at age 65.
- C) Plan changes outside the AEP are allowed only through Special Enrollment Periods for qualifying events, not at will throughout the year.
- D) Moving can trigger a Special Enrollment Period, but the annual AEP is not tied to a change of residence.
Memory hook
Every fall, the Medicare plan door swings open: switch MA or Part D, effective New Year's Day.