Medicare enrollment periods in Mississippi
Medicare's enrollment windows are set by federal rules, so they are the same in Mississippi 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.
Medicare counseling through Mississippi SHIP
Mississippi's State Health Insurance Assistance Program, SHIP, offers in-person and phone-based counseling to help people eligible for Medicare understand their coverage choices.
SHIP is administered by the Mississippi Department of Human Services' Division of Aging and Adult Services, working with local Area Agencies on Aging and the Mississippi Access to Care Network. Call 1-844-822-4622 or 601-709-0624, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If Medicare is new to you, our guide to what Medicare is is a good place to start before you call.
Insurance questions and complaints in Mississippi
The Mississippi Insurance Department's Consumer Services Division takes requests for help and complaints about insurance companies and agents. Its Consumer Help Line is 800-562-2957, or 601-359-2453 in the Jackson area. Questions about federal Medicare rules themselves go to Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Where to get Medicare help in Mississippi
These public programs and contacts are listed by official sources. Each one links to the page it came from.
Medicare counseling (SHIP)
Mississippi's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), run by the Department of Human Services' Division of Aging and Adult Services with local Area Agencies on Aging, gives Medicare counseling in person and by phone. Phone: 1-844-822-4622 or 601-709-0624, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Source: Mississippi Department of Human Services (mdhs.ms.gov)
State insurance consumer help
The Mississippi Insurance Department's Consumer Services Division helps with insurance questions and takes complaints about insurance companies and agents. Its Consumer Help Line is 800-562-2957, or 601-359-2453 in the Jackson area.
How a licensed independent agent helps in Mississippi
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 Mississippi, see the Mississippi state guide.
Have questions? Review your options with a licensed agent.
Review your Medicare options in Mississippi
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 Mississippi
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