Free Tool · Private — runs in your browser
Medicare Enrollment Dates: Build Your Personal Sign-Up Calendar
Missing a Medicare deadline can cost you a lifelong penalty. Enter your birth month and year and get the dates that actually apply to you — your Initial Enrollment Period, your one-time Medigap window, your first RMD year, and your Social Security milestones — then download them straight to your calendar. Nothing is stored or sent.
- Personalized to your birthday
- Download to your calendar (.ics)
- Private — runs in your browser
Get your personal dates
Your details
We never see your birthday. Everything is calculated on your device and nothing is uploaded.
Your calendar will show up here
Enter your birth month and year, then press See my dates. You will get:
- Your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period — the 7-month window around your 65th birthday
- Your one-time Medigap (Medicare Supplement) Open Enrollment window
- Your first RMD year and April 1 deadline (age 73 or 75)
- Your Social Security earliest, full-retirement-age, and age-70 dates
- A downloadable .ics calendar with the annual Medicare and ACA windows built in
Medicare enrollment periods at a glance
These windows are the same every year. Your personal dates (above) tell you which ones apply to you and when.
| Enrollment period | When | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) | 7 months: 3 months before, the month of, and 3 months after your 65th birthday | Almost everyone, when first eligible at 65 |
| Open Enrollment / Annual Election (AEP) | October 15 – December 7 (changes take effect January 1) | Anyone changing a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan |
| General Enrollment Period (GEP) | January 1 – March 31 (coverage starts the month after you sign up) | People who missed their IEP |
| Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment | January 1 – March 31 | People already in a Medicare Advantage plan |
| Medigap Open Enrollment | One-time 6-month window starting the first month you are 65 and have Part B | Anyone buying a Medigap (Supplement) policy — guaranteed issue |
Sources: Medicare.gov — When can I sign up and Medicare.gov — Open Enrollment. Verified June 2026.
How your dates are calculated
Initial Enrollment Period: Your 7-month IEP is built around the month you turn 65 — it starts 3 months before, includes your birthday month, and ends 3 months after. (If your birthday falls on the first of a month, Medicare treats you as turning 65 the month before, so your window shifts one month earlier — confirm on Medicare.gov.)
First RMD: Under SECURE 2.0, your Required Minimum Distribution age is 73 if you were born 1951–1959, and 75 if you were born in 1960 or later. (The 1959 birth year is treated as age 73 per IRS guidance.) Your first RMD can wait until April 1 of the following year; every RMD after that is due December 31.
Social Security: You can claim as early as 62 (reduced), at your full retirement age (67 if you were born in 1960 or later), or wait until 70 for the largest possible benefit — there is no increase after 70.
Sources: IRS — RMD FAQs, SSA — benefit age reduction, and SSA — Medicare premiums (IRMAA). Verified June 2026.
Now keep the paperwork in order
Knowing the dates is step one. Our Medicare & Healthcare Organizer is a printable workbook for everything that comes next — plan details, premiums, doctors, prescriptions, claims, and important contacts — so nothing slips through the cracks once you’re enrolled.
See the Medicare & Healthcare Organizer →Retiring before 65? Use our free COBRA vs. Marketplace calculator to bridge the gap to Medicare. Official source for everything Medicare: Medicare.gov.
Common questions about Medicare enrollment
Dates verified against Medicare.gov, SSA.gov, IRS.gov, and HealthCare.gov — June 2026.
When can I sign up for Medicare?
Most people sign up during their Initial Enrollment Period (IEP): a 7-month window that starts 3 months before the month you turn 65, includes your birthday month, and ends 3 months after. If you miss it, you can enroll during General Enrollment (January 1 to March 31), but late penalties may apply.
What are the Medicare enrollment dates for 2026 and 2027?
Medicare Open Enrollment (the Annual Election Period) runs October 15 to December 7 every year, with changes effective January 1. General Enrollment and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment both run January 1 to March 31 each year. These annual windows are the same in 2026 and 2027.
What happens if I miss my Medicare enrollment window?
If you miss your Initial Enrollment Period and don’t have other qualifying coverage, you may have to wait for the General Enrollment Period (January 1 to March 31) and pay a lifelong late-enrollment penalty for Part B and Part D. That’s why it helps to mark your IEP early.
When do I have to start taking required minimum distributions (RMDs)?
Under SECURE 2.0, the RMD age is 73 if you were born from 1951 to 1959, and 75 if you were born in 1960 or later. Your first RMD can be delayed until April 1 of the year after you reach that age; every RMD after that is due by December 31.
When is ACA Marketplace Open Enrollment?
On the federal HealthCare.gov platform, Open Enrollment for plan year 2027 and later runs November 1 to December 15. Some state-run marketplaces set a later deadline (often January 15). Check your state’s marketplace if you don’t use HealthCare.gov.