Medicare AEP Dates: The Agent Readiness Calendar (2026 to 2027)

The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7 every year. For the 2027 plan year, that means October 15 to December 7, 2026, with coverage taking effect January 1, 2027. Those dates are set by federal regulation and published by CMS on Medicare.gov.

Those two dates are the beneficiary calendar. The agent calendar starts in June and runs into the following spring. This guide covers the full 2026 to 2027 season: certification over the summer of 2026, the October 1 marketing start, AEP itself, and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period that runs through March 2027.

The Season at a Glance

Date	What happens	Fixed or typical
June 22, 2026	AHIP training for Plan Year 2027 opened	Announced by AHIP; the opening date moves a little each year
Summer 2026	Carrier certification, contracting, and appointments	Typical timing; each carrier sets its own schedule
October 1, 2026	Marketing for 2027 plans may begin	Fixed by CMS regulation
October 15, 2026	AEP begins	Fixed by CMS regulation
December 7, 2026	AEP ends	Fixed by CMS regulation
January 1, 2027	2027 coverage takes effect	Fixed by CMS regulation
January 1 to March 31, 2027	Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period	Fixed by CMS regulation

Which Dates Are Fixed and Which Are Patterns

The enrollment side of the calendar is federal regulation. AEP is October 15 to December 7 every year. Coverage elected during AEP takes effect January 1. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is January 1 to March 31. The October 1 marketing start is also a rule, not a convention: CMS regulation (42 CFR 422.2263) bars marketing an upcoming plan year before October 1 of the year before it.

The readiness side of the calendar is a pattern, not a rule. AHIP training for the new plan year typically opens in late June, and for Plan Year 2027 it opened on June 22, 2026. Carrier certifications follow on each carrier's own schedule, most of them over the summer. Contracting and appointment processing times vary by carrier and state. Plan the readiness work with margin. Only the enrollment dates are guaranteed.

Summer 2026: Certification, Contracting, Appointments

The common mistake is treating AEP as an October event. The work that decides whether you can sell in October happens in June through September.

AHIP certification for Plan Year 2027 opened June 22, 2026. Complete it early, because most carriers require AHIP before they release their own certification. Our AHIP certification guide covers the cost, the passing score, and how it fits with everything else.

After AHIP comes each carrier's own certification, then contracting, then the appointment. Every carrier you plan to sell for requires its own chain, and appointment processing takes time. If any link in that chain, license, AHIP, carrier certification, or appointment, is incomplete on October 15, you cannot sell that carrier's plans for the season. The full path from license to appointment is mapped step by step in our guide.

Missing one certification deadline over the summer quietly removes a carrier from your lineup for the year. Agencies onboarding a full roster before the season feel this hardest. Our Medicare agent onboarding guide covers how agencies structure that work.

October 1, 2026: Marketing Opens Two Weeks Before Enrollment

CMS marketing rules open a two-week window that trips up new agents. On October 1, marketing for the upcoming plan year may begin. Agents can discuss specific 2027 plans, distribute materials, and hold sales appointments. Enrollment cannot happen until October 15.

Use those two weeks. Line up appointments, collect scopes of appointment, and prepare your book, so that when enrollment opens on October 15 you can start writing.

October 15 to December 7, 2026: The Annual Enrollment Period

This is the enrollment window. During AEP, beneficiaries can join, switch, or drop Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, and changes take effect January 1, 2027. It is the busiest selling stretch of the year, and CMS compliance rules are in full force: a scope of appointment before each sales meeting, accurate plan comparisons, and proper records on every interaction.

January 1 to March 31, 2027: The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period

The season continues past December 7. From January 1 to March 31, people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan can make one change: switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or return to Original Medicare with the option to add a Part D plan. It is a real selling and service window, with one restriction. CMS bars marketing that targets this period as an enrollment opportunity, so the business here comes from beneficiaries who contact you.

The first quarter is also when AEP compliance gets checked. Keep records and scopes of appointment retained per CMS requirements, and confirm every enrollment processed cleanly.

Ready by October 15

Readiness for AEP comes down to three things being true on October 15: licenses active in every state you sell in, appointments in place with every carrier you sell for, and certifications done. InsureTrek tracks license status across states and reports on appointments by carrier and state, so an agency can see before October which producers are ready and which are not. Book a demo to see it against your roster.