# Medicare AEP 2027 Dates: Marketing, Enrollment, OEP

> AEP runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, for coverage starting January 1, 2027. Marketing for 2027 plans may begin October 1. MA OEP runs January 1 to March 31.

By [Nabeel Ahamed](/authors/nabeel)

Last updated September 29, 2026

Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) runs **October 15 to December 7, 2026**, for coverage beginning **January 1, 2027**. Marketing for the 2027 plan year may begin October 1, 2026.

## Key dates for AEP 2027

| Date                                 | What happens                                                        | Source                                                                                                               |
| ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| October 1, 2026                      | Marketing for the 2027 plan year may begin                          | [42 CFR 422.2263](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-B/part-422/subpart-V/section-422.2263) |
| October 15, 2026                     | AEP opens                                                           | [Medicare.gov](https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/joining-a-plan)           |
| November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027 | HealthCare.gov Open Enrollment for ACA plans, a separate program    | [CMS statement, July 27, 2026](https://www.cms.gov/files/document/ftr-requirement-py26-27-statement.pdf)             |
| December 7, 2026                     | AEP closes. Last day the plan can receive an AEP enrollment request | [Medicare.gov](https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/joining-a-plan)           |
| January 1, 2027                      | Coverage chosen during AEP starts                                   | [Medicare.gov](https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/joining-a-plan)           |
| January 1 to March 31, 2027          | Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP)                     | [42 CFR 422.62](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-B/part-422/subpart-B/section-422.62)     |

Carrier training, contracting, and readiness deadlines are not on this list because each carrier sets its own. The [worksheet below](#put-carrier-deadlines-beside-the-public-calendar) helps you track them.

## When can marketing for the 2027 plan year begin?

October 1, 2026\. [42 CFR 422.2263](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-B/part-422/subpart-V/section-422.2263) says Medicare Advantage organizations may begin marketing prospective plan year offerings on October 1 of each year for the following contract year.

The rule allows current-year and prospective-year marketing at the same time, as long as the materials clearly indicate which year they describe. It is written for MA organizations, so follow your carrier's instructions on how it applies to your own materials.

Build that distinction into preparation. Check presentation decks, comparison notes, and saved plan documents before using them. A folder named only "AEP" makes it harder to spot an old benefit document than a file that identifies the carrier, product, and coverage year.

October 1 does not open AEP enrollment early. A person eligible under another enrollment period may have a separate opportunity. Identify that period and its effective-date rules before acting, using the [Medicare.gov enrollment-period table](https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/joining-a-plan).

## When does AEP start and end?

AEP 2027 runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, for coverage that starts January 1, 2027\. [42 CFR 422.62](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-B/part-422/subpart-B/section-422.62) sets the annual coordinated election period as October 15 through December 7 for the following calendar year. During that window, [Medicare.gov](https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/joining-a-plan) says people can join, drop, or switch Medicare Advantage plans with or without drug coverage, or add or drop drug coverage.

Agents who also assist with ACA plans have an overlapping window. HealthCare.gov Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, per [CMS's July 27, 2026 statement](https://www.cms.gov/files/document/ftr-requirement-py26-27-statement.pdf). The [FFM guide](/guides/ffm-certification) covers the December 15 date and the separate annual registration.

## What is the last day to submit an AEP enrollment application?

December 7, 2026\. [Medicare.gov](https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/joining-a-plan) says the plan must get the request to join by December 7 for coverage to start January 1, 2027.

The test is when the plan receives the request. Follow the carrier's enrollment instructions and confirm receipt. A submission you have not seen acknowledged is not yet a received request.

Keep submission and acceptance evidence accessible throughout AEP. A useful follow-up list identifies the beneficiary's request, carrier reference, submission date, and unresolved carrier response. Use your approved systems and applicable recordkeeping procedures for those records.

As December 7 approaches, review open items for missing information or rejected submissions that need attention.

## When is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period?

January 1 to March 31, 2027\. Under [42 CFR 422.62](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-B/part-422/subpart-B/section-422.62), a person enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan may make one election during the first three months of the year, either to join another MA plan or to return to Original Medicare. The related opportunity to choose Part D coverage comes with it. [Medicare.gov](https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/joining-a-plan) says coverage starts the first of the month after the plan gets the request.

This period does not let someone in Original Medicare newly join MA.

The [OEP marketing rules](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-B/part-422/subpart-V/section-422.2263) prohibit targeting OEP as an opportunity for additional sales or sending unsolicited OEP marketing. They allow responses to beneficiary requests and marketing focused on other lawful enrollment opportunities, such as eligible people aging into Medicare.

Before acting on a first-quarter request, identify the beneficiary's current coverage and available election period. That determines the available changes and effective date. The calendar date alone does not.

## Put carrier deadlines beside the public calendar

Marketing and enrollment dates come from federal rules. Training, contracting, and readiness deadlines come from each carrier. They are not federal certification deadlines.

Start with the carriers, products, and states you intend to sell. Obtain the certification instructions for each and record the deadline that applies to your relationship. New-agent contracting and returning-agent certification may have different requirements.

There is no universal AHIP-first sequence. [UnitedHealthcare's 2027 program](https://www.uhcjarvis.com/content/jarvis/en/secure/knowledge%5Fcenter/readyToSell/certifications.html), for example, offers its own Standard course as well as AHIP and NABIP transfer paths. The [AHIP guide](/guides/ahip-certification) explains how to choose accepted training.

Use a record like this for each carrier. It is a suggested planning worksheet:

| Field               | What to record                                                               |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Intended work       | Products, states, and the date you plan to begin marketing or selling        |
| Required training   | Accepted general course, product modules, and plan year                      |
| Carrier deadline    | The date and source, including whether it applies to new or returning agents |
| Outstanding work    | The exact missing document, course, transmission, or carrier decision        |
| Next action         | Who is following up, with whom, and when                                     |
| Completion evidence | Current carrier confirmation for the intended work                           |

Appointment filing also depends on state and carrier rules. [Aetna's instructions](https://www.aetna.com/medicare/for-producers.html) say it orders appointments after the first sale where state law permits. Confirm carrier authorization and the applicable filing process instead of assuming that every producer follows the same sequence.

If a producer is incomplete on October 15, determine what is missing and whether the carrier accepts later completion. An unresolved requirement can delay that producer's work. It does not by itself establish a season-long bar. Agencies handling those exceptions can use the [Medicare onboarding guide](/guides/medicare-agent-onboarding).

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