AEP (Annual Enrollment Period)
The October 15 – December 7 annual window during which Medicare beneficiaries can enroll in, switch, or drop Medicare Advantage and Part D plans.
Full Definition
The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) runs October 15 through December 7 every year. During AEP, any Medicare beneficiary can (1) switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, (2) switch from MA back to Original Medicare, (3) switch between MA plans, (4) enroll in, change, or drop a standalone PDP. Plan changes made during AEP take effect January 1 of the following year. AEP is the highest-volume and highest-cost period for Medicare lead generation — MA-PD lead prices commonly 2–4× summer baselines, inbound call costs can exceed $125, and SOA collection bottlenecks are the single biggest operational constraint. CMS MCMG rules apply year-round but are enforced most visibly during AEP.
Example
An MA lead that costs $28 in July costs $65 during AEP week one (Oct 15–22). Volume ramps 3–4× weekly through Thanksgiving, then slows sharply the week of December 7 deadline.
How Agents Apply This
AEP success is 80% about operational readiness before October 15 and 20% about execution during the window. Agents should lock carrier certifications (AHIP + individual carriers) by late August, pre-stage SOAs, calendar, and dialer capacity in September, and negotiate lead volume commitments no later than mid-September when vendor inventory is still available. The first two weeks of AEP (Oct 15–29) produce the highest-intent leads because consumers who've been researching all summer finally enroll. Lead volume peaks week three, but quality drops — more shoppers, fewer committed buyers. Plan cash flow around carrier advance schedules: first AEP commissions typically don't hit bank accounts until early December, so most agencies need a line of credit to cover October-November lead spend. Agencies that start AEP under-certified or under-contracted almost always finish under-quota regardless of lead spend.
Related Terms
- OEP (Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period) — The January 1 – March 31 window during which MA enrollees can make a one-time switch to another MA plan or back to Original Medicare + PDP.
- Medicare Advantage (Part C) — Private insurance plans that deliver Medicare Part A and B benefits (and usually Part D) as an alternative to Original Medicare.
- Part D (Prescription Drug Plan) — Optional Medicare prescription drug coverage, offered as a standalone PDP or bundled into Medicare Advantage (MA-PD).
- SOA (Scope of Appointment) — A CMS-required document capturing which Medicare product types a beneficiary has agreed to discuss with an agent, collected at least 48 hours before the sales meeting.
- MCMG (Medicare Communications & Marketing Guidelines) — The CMS rulebook that governs how Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, FMOs, TPMOs, and agents may market and communicate with beneficiaries.