Open Enrollment Period (OEP)

Understanding Open Enrollment Period

The Open Enrollment Period (OEP) for Medicare runs from January 1 through March 31 each year. During OEP, Medicare beneficiaries who are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan can make one plan change — they can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or drop their Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare with or without a Part D prescription drug plan. OEP is more limited than AEP: beneficiaries cannot use OEP to enroll in Medicare Advantage for the first time if they are currently on Original Medicare, and they can only make one change during the entire period.

OEP is sometimes confused with AEP, but they serve different purposes. AEP (October 15 - December 7) is the primary enrollment window where most plan changes happen. OEP exists as a correction window — it gives beneficiaries who made an AEP decision they regret a chance to make one adjustment. The healthcare industry also uses 'open enrollment' more broadly to describe employer-sponsored health insurance enrollment windows, typically in November, which is a separate concept entirely.

How It Works in Practice

OEP volume is significantly lower than AEP — typically 15-25 percent of the activity level. But the prospects who act during OEP are highly motivated. They are dissatisfied with a choice they made during AEP or have experienced a problem with their current plan (provider not in network, medication not covered, unexpected costs). This makes OEP leads highly intentional. Real-time Medicare leads during OEP cost $20-35 — lower than AEP but still substantial. Agents who work OEP effectively focus on two groups: dissatisfied MA enrollees looking to switch and beneficiaries who want to return to Original Medicare plus a Medigap policy.

Why It Matters for Aged Leads

Aged leads from AEP that did not convert are perfect OEP prospects. These are beneficiaries who were actively shopping during AEP but did not make a decision — or made a hasty decision they now regret. Reaching them in January with a simple message — 'You have until March 31 to make a change if your current plan is not working' — resonates because it addresses a real and immediate concern. The cost advantage is dramatic: aged AEP leads purchased at $1-3 in January are essentially OEP leads at a 90-95 percent discount. Agents who stockpile unconverted AEP leads and systematically rework them during OEP add 10-20 additional enrollments per quarter at virtually no incremental lead cost.