What is AEP & Why it Matters

Cassidy Clark
4 days ago
3 min read

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is around the corner, and it is time to begin preparing to review your coverage. This month we will be providing you with the information you need to be ready for AEP and feel confident in preparing for your 2027 coverage. Be sure to schedule your appointment with SGIA Medicare Consulting for AEP to review your coverage and see what your options are for 2027.

What AEP Actually Covers

AEP is the yearly window when you can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) or a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) [1][2]. It's the main opportunity most people get each year to change this type of coverage.

Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans are not tied to AEP and can be reviewed or changed at any time of year, subject to underwriting in most states [1]. If Medigap is your coverage, it's still a great seasonal reminder to check in on your overall coverage picture.
This is also the time of year when most insurers will release information about plans that have terminated, that have changed what they cover, and more.
- Be sure to review your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and your Evidence of Coverage (EOC) to ensure you have the information you need to make confident decisions.
As always, your SGIA Benefit Consultant can help you sort through your options and find what is best for your needs beginning October 1^st.

Key Dates To Know

October 15 – December 7: AEP is open. You can make changes to Medicare Advantage and Part D coverage [1][2].
January 1: Any changes made during AEP take effect [1][2].
October 1: You can start talking with SGIA Medicare Licensed Benefit Consultant about your options ahead of the window opening.

Why it Matters to Review Annually

Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are run by private insurers, and their costs, covered drugs, and provider networks can change every single year [2][3]. A plan that worked well for you in 2026 may look different for 2027: a higher premium, a medication that moved to a costlier tier, or a doctor who's no longer in-network.

Plan quality ratings also update annually. Medicare re-scores Medicare Advantage and Part D plans on a 1-to-5 star scale each year based on care quality and member experience, and those ratings can shift plan to plan and year to year [3].
- Checking your plan's current rating and how it compares to others in your area is part of a thorough annual review.
Doing nothing during AEP isn't necessarily wrong, but it should be a decision, not a default.
- Autorenewal means you'll keep your current plan next year even if it's changed in ways that no longer fit your health needs or budget.

What You Can Do During AEP

Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan, or from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare [1]
Switch from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another [1]
Join, switch, or drop a stand-alone Part D Prescription Drug Plan [1]
Move from a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage to one without, or vice versa [1]

SGIA Medicare Consulting specializes in Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD), and stand-alone Prescription Drug Plans. So whether AEP applies directly to your coverage or not, we can help you look at the full picture.

We're now scheduling AEP appointments, and you can start talking with us as early as October 1 to review your coverage before the window opens on October 15.

Visit sgiamedicare.com/schedule-appointment or call 888-284-3314 to reserve your time. We Make Medicare Simple.