As stated by the CMS, the SEP is available from the start of the incident period--which is defined as the effective date of the President's initial emergency declaration on March 1 and for four full calendar months after (through the end of June).
According to Ensurem, here are some
key points
regarding this policy:
- This SEP is available nationwide to residents of all states, tribes, territories, and the District of Columbia effective March 1, 2020.*
- This declaration does not mean that all Medicare beneficiaries get an SEP. To be eligible, beneficiaries must meet certain criteria. All other rules apply.
- For those who qualify, the SEP opportunity will run through June 30, 2020.
*Note: Beneficiaries will not be expected to provide proof that they were affected by the pandemic-related emergency What does this mean for beneficiaries?
- Beneficiaries who were eligible for a different election period but were unable to enroll* in a plan during the allotted time period have until June 30, 2020, to enroll.
- Enrollments received are effective the first day of the following month.
*Note: This applies to anyone that could have used the MA-OEP SEP but did not