What Happens If You Miss the SEP Window?

Failing to take action within your designated Special Enrollment Period carries significant consequences. If you move out of your Medicare Advantage plan’s service area and fail to choose a new plan before your SEP expires, your insurance carrier will automatically disenroll you from the plan. You will revert to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) for your medical care.

However, Original Medicare does not include prescription drug coverage. If you lose your Part D coverage during the move and fail to sign up for a standalone Part D plan during your SEP window, you will be left without prescription drug protection. Furthermore, when you eventually enroll in a drug plan during the next standard Open Enrollment Period (October 15 to December 7), you may incur a permanent Part D late enrollment penalty calculated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.