Medicare enrollment periods in Georgia
Medicare's enrollment windows are set by federal rules, so they are the same in Georgia as in every other state. The 2026 Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7, 2026. Changes made during the Annual Enrollment Period take effect January 1, 2027.
IEP
Initial Enrollment Period
The Initial Enrollment Period is your personal seven-month window around your 65th birthday. It opens three months before the month you turn 65 and closes three months after. This is when most people enroll in Medicare for the first time.
AEP
Annual Enrollment Period
The Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15 through December 7 each year. During AEP, people with Medicare can enroll in, change, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D plan. Changes made during AEP take effect on January 1 of the following year.
MA OEP
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period
The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs from January 1 through March 31. During this window, people already enrolled in Medicare Advantage can make one change: to a different Medicare Advantage plan, or back to Original Medicare, with or without a Part D plan. The change takes effect the first of the month after the plan gets the request.
SEP
Special Enrollment Periods
Special Enrollment Periods open when specific life events happen, such as losing employer coverage or moving to a new area. The timing depends on the event, and Medicare.gov explains the rules for each one.
Unbiased Medicare counseling through Georgia SHIP
Georgia's State Health Insurance Assistance Program, known as Georgia SHIP, gives unbiased information and assistance to people with Medicare and their caregivers. It is not affiliated with any insurance company and does not sell insurance.
Certified Georgia SHIP counselors take Medicare calls Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 1-866-552-4464 and select option 4. If you want the basics before you call, our guide to what Medicare is walks through the parts of Medicare in plain language.
Insurance complaints in Georgia
The Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire regulates insurance in Georgia, and its Consumer Services Division looks into consumer complaints about insurers, agents and claims. Its phone number is (800) 656-2298. For federal Medicare rules themselves, Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE are the official sources.
Where to get Medicare help in Georgia
These public programs and contacts are listed by official sources. Each one links to the page it came from.
Medicare counseling (SHIP)
The Georgia State Health Insurance Assistance Program offers in-depth, one-on-one insurance counseling and assistance with Medicare. Phone: 1-866-552-4464, then select option 4.
Source: SHIP TA Center (shiphelp.org)
State insurance consumer help
The Consumer Services Division of Georgia's Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire works to ensure fair dealings between insurers, agents and policyholders, and takes consumer complaints. Phone: (800) 656-2298 or (404) 656-2070.
Source: Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire
How a licensed independent agent helps in Georgia
A licensed independent insurance agent can explain how the parts of Medicare fit together, walk through the enrollment windows that apply to your situation, and review the plans the agent offers in your area. The review is educational, and there is no obligation to enroll.
An agent is different from a state counseling program. Counselors at a State Health Insurance Assistance Program do not sell insurance. A licensed agent can help with an application, but can only discuss the plans that agent offers, which is why the plan-availability disclosure appears near the request button on this page.
Many people use both: unbiased counseling to understand the rules, and an agent to review specific options. If you are new to Medicare, start with what Medicare is and how it works, then read about the Annual Enrollment Period. For other coverage questions in Georgia, see the Georgia state guide.
Have questions? Review your options with a licensed agent.
Review your Medicare options in Georgia
Answer a few questions and a licensed agent will follow up to walk through the plans they offer in your area. Educational, no pressure, and no obligation to enroll.
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We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
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FAQ
Medicare questions from Georgia
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Related reading
Medicare education hub
How Parts A, B, C and D work, and the enrollment timeline.
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Medicare Annual Enrollment Period
What the October 15 through December 7 window allows.
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What is Medicare?
A plain-language beginner's guide.
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Medicare Special Enrollment Periods
Life events that open a window outside AEP.
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Georgia state guide
Both coverage guides for Georgia and license details.
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States we serve
Every state where Alexander James is licensed.
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