Medicare runs on a calendar. You cannot join or change most plans whenever you like; you act inside set windows, and missing one can mean waiting months or paying a penalty for years. The good news is that the calendar is predictable. Here is every window that matters for Owings Mills residents, in the order most people meet them.
Turning 65: your Initial Enrollment Period
Your first window is seven months long. It opens three months before the month you turn 65, includes your birthday month, and closes three months after. Sign up during the three months before your birthday month and Part B starts the first day of your birthday month, which avoids a gap.
- About four months out: gather your current coverage details, doctor list and prescriptions, and call us to talk through the road ahead.
- Three months out: enroll in Parts A and B through Social Security, unless you are already receiving benefits and enrolled automatically.
- Once you have your Medicare number: apply for a Supplement plan and Part D plan, or an Advantage plan, with an effective date that lines up with Part B.
- The month coverage starts: carry your new cards, confirm your pharmacy has the new drug plan on file, and schedule your free Welcome to Medicare preventive visit.
Still working? If you or your spouse have coverage through current employment, you may be able to delay Part B and use a Special Enrollment Period later. The rules depend on the size of the employer, so check before you skip anything. Our costs page shows what a late penalty adds.
Your Medicare Supplement open enrollment
Supplement plans have their own one time window: six months that begin the first month you are both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During those six months, any company selling Supplements in Maryland must accept you at its standard rates, regardless of your health. After the window closes, companies can ask health questions, apart from certain protected situations and Maryland's yearly birthday rule for people who already have a Supplement. If a Supplement is on your list, this is the window to use.
Every fall: the Annual Enrollment Period
From October 15 through December 7 each year, anyone with Medicare can:
- Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or back again
- Change from one Advantage plan to another
- Join, drop or change a Part D drug plan
Changes take effect January 1. Plans mail an Annual Notice of Change each fall, and it is worth reading. For 2027 the Part D out of pocket cap rises to $2,400 and the maximum drug deductible to $700, and many drug lists and premiums shift too. A yearly review with us takes about half an hour.
January 1 to March 31: two more windows
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period
If you are in an Advantage plan on January 1, you get one chance between January 1 and March 31 to switch to a different Advantage plan, or to drop back to Original Medicare and pick up a Part D plan. Remember that a Supplement may require health questions at that point.
General Enrollment Period
If you missed your first chance at Part B and do not qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, you can sign up from January 1 through March 31. Coverage starts the month after you enroll, and a late penalty may apply.
Special Enrollment Periods
Certain life events open their own windows, including:
- Losing employer or union coverage
- Moving out of your plan's service area, for example from Owings Mills to a new county or state
- Moving into or out of a nursing home or similar facility
- Qualifying for Extra Help or Maryland Medicaid
Each Special Enrollment Period has its own deadline, often two months. If something changes, call us early.
Common Owings Mills situations
Because Owings Mills is home to so many working families, a lot of our calls come from adult children setting up Medicare for a parent who just moved closer, often into one of the apartment communities near the Metro station or along Painters Mill Road. A move like that can trigger a Special Enrollment Period for an Advantage or drug plan from another state. Supplement plans usually travel with you, though the premium may change. We sort out which pieces need replacing and which can stay.
Not sure which window applies to you? Read our guide to the parts of Medicare, compare Supplement and Advantage plans, or call (410) 896-1212.
Enrollment questions
How do I sign up for Part A and Part B?
If you already receive Social Security benefits, you are usually enrolled in Parts A and B automatically and your card arrives by mail. If not, you apply through Social Security online, by phone or at a local Social Security office. We can walk you through the application while you complete it.
I missed my first window. What now?
If you did not have employer coverage that lets you delay, you can sign up for Part B during the General Enrollment Period from January 1 through March 31, with coverage starting the month after you sign up. A late penalty may apply. Call us and we will help you sort out the next step.