The Medicare General Enrollment Period
A second chance, with a price attached.
If you didn't sign up for Part B (or premium Part A) when you were first eligible, and you don't qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, the General Enrollment Period is your chance to sign up. It runs from January 1 to March 31 every year.
When coverage starts
Since 2023, coverage starts the first day of the month after you sign up. Before 2023, everyone who signed up during this period had to wait until July 1, so older articles may still say that.
The penalty
Signing up during the General Enrollment Period often means a Part B late enrollment penalty: 10% of the standard premium for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B but didn't. In 2026, someone 24 months late would pay 20% more than the standard $202.90, or $243.50, and the penalty usually lasts as long as they have Part B.
Who ends up here
- People who missed their Initial Enrollment Period without job-based coverage.
- People who dropped Part B and want it back.
- People whose Special Enrollment Period ran out, for example because they waited more than 8 months after their job or coverage ended.
- People who thought COBRA, retiree coverage, VA care or a Marketplace plan let them delay Part B safely.
Check for a Special Enrollment Period first
Before you settle for the General Enrollment Period, check whether you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, including the exceptional-circumstance ones Medicare added in 2023 for situations such as a disaster, losing Medicaid, or being given wrong information by an employer or health plan. They can let you enroll sooner and without a penalty.
Common questions
If you sign up for Part B during the General Enrollment Period, you can generally join a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan from April 1 to June 30, with coverage starting the month after.
No. Medigap has its own Open Enrollment Period, which starts when your Part B starts, if you're 65 or older.
Want help with your own choices?
Every state runs a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) with trained counselors who give free, unbiased Medicare help and do not sell plans. Find yours on our Medicare by state pages, or call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (TTY 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
Planning the rest of your coverage in retirement? We can help with life insurance later in life and final expense coverage.
Sources
- When does Medicare coverage start?, Medicare.gov. Checked September 29, 2026.
- Avoid late enrollment penalties, Medicare.gov. Checked September 29, 2026.
- Special Enrollment Periods, Medicare.gov. Checked September 29, 2026.
- 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Checked September 29, 2026.
General information about the federal Medicare program, not advice about your situation. Figures are for 2026 unless stated and change every year; last reviewed September 29, 2026. Quote My Policy is a private company. Not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program.
Quote My Policy does not sell Medicare plans on this site. For plan-specific help, contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (TTY 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program.