Medicare enrollment periods in Oregon

Quick answers

When is my Medicare Initial Enrollment Period?

The 7 months that start 3 months before the month you turn 65 and end 3 months after it. Sign up before your birthday month for coverage to start that month.

Am I enrolled in Medicare automatically?

Yes, if you already get Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits when you turn 65, or after 24 months of disability benefits. Otherwise you sign up through Social Security.

Do I need Part B if I'm still working at 65?

Not if you or your spouse have group health coverage from current work with an employer of 20 or more employees. You can sign up later during an 8-month Special Enrollment Period without a penalty.

What if I missed my enrollment period?

You can sign up for Part B during the General Enrollment Period, January 1 to March 31, with coverage starting the next month, but a late penalty may apply.

When can I change Medicare plans in Oregon?

During Open Enrollment, October 15 to December 7, for January 1. If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can also change once from January 1 to March 31.

Medicare enrollment timing has lasting consequences. Missing your Initial Enrollment Period, or going too long without creditable drug coverage, can mean penalties that last as long as you have Medicare. Here is each window, with the Oregon situations that come up most. Social Security handles sign-up for Part A and Part B; you join Medicare Advantage, Part D and Medigap plans through the plans themselves, Medicare.gov, or a licensed insurance agent.

Initial Enrollment Period (IEP)

Your Initial Enrollment Period is 7 months: the 3 months before the month you turn 65, your birthday month, and the 3 months after.

• Sign up before your birthday month, and coverage starts the first day of your birthday month.
• Sign up during your birthday month or any of the 3 months after, and coverage starts the first day of the month after you sign up.

If you already get Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits, you're enrolled in Part A and Part B automatically. If you don't, you must sign up yourself at ssa.gov, by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, or at a local office.

Also see turning 65 in Oregon. Your Medigap open enrollment period, 6 months that start when your Part B starts, is your best time to buy a Medigap policy without health questions; see Medigap in Oregon.

Medicare before 65: disability, ESRD and ALS

• Disability: you're enrolled in Part A and Part B automatically after you've received Social Security or Railroad Retirement disability benefits for 24 months. See Medicare with a disability in Oregon.
• ALS: Medicare starts the month your disability benefits begin.
• End-stage renal disease: you sign up through Social Security; coverage usually starts the fourth month of dialysis, or sooner for home dialysis training or a kidney transplant.

Oregon gives people under 65 with Medicare a 6-month Medigap open enrollment with every policy the company sells (OAR 836-052-0138), and another one at 65.

General Enrollment Period (GEP)

If you missed your Initial Enrollment Period and don't qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, you can sign up for Part B (and Part A if you have to buy it) from January 1 to March 31 each year. Coverage starts the first day of the month after you sign up. A late penalty usually applies. See what happens if I miss Medicare enrollment in Oregon?

Open Enrollment (October 15 to December 7)

Every year from October 15 to December 7, anyone with Medicare can:

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan
• Switch from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare
• Switch between Medicare Advantage plans
• Join, drop or switch Part D plans

Changes start January 1. Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage is under way now. Read your plan's Annual Notice of Change, check that your doctors and drugs are still covered, and see Medicare Open Enrollment in Oregon and how to compare plans.

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 to March 31)

If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, you get one chance between January 1 and March 31 to:

• Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare, and join a stand-alone Part D plan

If you're new to Medicare and joined a Medicare Advantage plan, you can also make one change during your first 3 months in the plan. You can't use this window to move from Original Medicare into Medicare Advantage, or to switch between stand-alone Part D plans. See what is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period?

Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs)

Special Enrollment Periods let you sign up or change plans outside the usual windows after certain events:

1. You lose job-based coverage. For Part B, you have 8 months after your or your spouse's job or group coverage ends, whichever comes first. To join a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, you have 2 full months after the month that coverage ends. Ask your employer to complete form CMS-L564. See the Part B Special Enrollment Period.
2. You move. If you move out of your plan's service area, including from one Oregon county to another where your plan isn't offered, you can change plans starting the month before you move (if you tell your plan in advance) and for 2 full months after. Moving into or out of Oregon works the same way; see moving to Oregon with Medicare.
3. You have Medicaid (OHP) or Extra Help. You can change Part D plans, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage for a stand-alone Part D plan, once a month. If you lose Medicaid, you have 3 full months to change.
4. Your plan ends or leaves your area. If your plan isn't renewed, you can change from December 8 to the last day of February. For 2027, some companies stop offering Medicare Advantage plans in some Oregon counties; see Oregon plans ending in 2027.
5. A disaster or emergency is declared where you live. Under 42 CFR 422.62(b)(18), if a federal, state or local government declares an emergency or major disaster, such as a wildfire, and it kept you from making a change you were eligible for, you have a Special Enrollment Period that lasts until 2 full months after the incident ends. See wildfire Special Enrollment Periods in Oregon.
6. A 5-star plan is offered in your area. You can switch to a plan with a 5-star overall rating once between December 8 and November 30 of the following year.

Social Security also has exceptional-circumstance Special Enrollment Periods for Part A and Part B, for example if a disaster or emergency, an employer or health plan error, or the end of Medicaid coverage kept you from signing up on time.

Oregon situations that affect enrollment

• PEBB and OEBB retirees: PEBB and OEBB retiree medical coverage ends when you become eligible for Medicare (the last day of the month before your Medicare eligibility), so sign up for Part A and Part B on time. See PEBB and Medicare and OEBB and Medicare.
• PERS retirees: for Tier One and Tier Two retirees in a PERS-sponsored Medicare plan, the Retirement Health Insurance Account (RHIA) premium subsidy requires you to be enrolled in Part A and Part B (OAR 459-035-0030). See retiring after 65 in Oregon.
• The Oregon Health Plan: if you have OHP when you get Medicare, Medicare becomes your main coverage and OHP may still help; your CCO doesn't change. See the Oregon Health Plan and Medicare and what happens to my OHP when I turn 65?
• Wildfires and storms: state as well as federal emergency declarations can create a Special Enrollment Period. See wildfire Special Enrollment Periods.
• Tribal members: there's no special Medicare enrollment period for American Indians and Alaska Natives, and IHS or tribal health care doesn't count as coverage from current work, so it doesn't let you delay Part B without a penalty. Enrolling in Medicare on time lets your tribal clinic bill Medicare. See tribal health and Medicare.

Late enrollment penalties

Part B penalty

10% of the standard premium for each full 12 months you could have had Part B but didn't. For example, waiting 24 months means a 20% higher premium. It generally lasts as long as you have Part B. You won't owe it if you delayed because of coverage from current work and sign up during your Special Enrollment Period.

Part D penalty

1% of the national base beneficiary premium ($38.99 in 2026) for each month you went without Part D or other creditable drug coverage, after a gap of 63 days or more. It's added to your premium for as long as you have Part D, unless you qualify for Extra Help.

Part A penalty

Only if you have to buy Part A: your premium may go up 10% for twice the number of years you could have had Part A but didn't sign up.

Worried you missed a window? Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048), or you can request a call from a licensed insurance agent to check which Special Enrollment Period you may qualify for when choosing a plan.

Related questions

• How do I sign up for Medicare in Oregon?
• When should I sign up for Medicare if I'm turning 65 in Oregon?
• Can I get Medicare under 65 on disability in Oregon?
• What happens to my Medicare if I move out of Oregon?

Sources

• Medicare.gov — Sign up for Medicare
• Medicare.gov — When does Medicare coverage start?
• Medicare.gov — Special Enrollment Periods
• Medicare.gov — Avoid late enrollment penalties
• Medicare.gov — End-stage renal disease (ESRD)
• Social Security Administration — Sign up for Medicare
• 42 CFR 422.62 — Election of coverage under an MA plan, including the disaster SEP at (b)(18) (Cornell LII)
• CMS — Form CMS-L564, Request for Employment Information
• OAR 101-050-0010 — PEBB retiree eligibility (coverage ends at Medicare eligibility), via Cornell LII
• OAR 111-050-0015 — OEBB early retiree coverage ends at Medicare eligibility, via Cornell LII
• Oregon Secretary of State — OAR 459-035-0030, PERS Retirement Health Insurance Account eligibility
• Oregon Secretary of State — OAR 836-052-0138, Medigap open enrollment (including under 65)

Every question in this guide

• Can I get Medicare before 65 if I'm on disability in Oregon?
• Do I need Medicare Part B if I'm still working at 65 in Oregon?
• How do I sign up for Medicare in Oregon?
• What happens if I miss Medicare enrollment in Oregon?
• What happens to my Medicare plan if I move to Oregon?
• What happens to my Medicare if I move out of Oregon?
• When should I sign up for Medicare if I'm turning 65 in Oregon?

Frequently asked questions

Medicare in your Oregon county

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