Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: Your Jan. 1 to March 31 Do-Over

The fall Open Enrollment Period ends December 7. After that, most people with Medicare are set for the year. But if you're in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one more chance: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, which runs January 1 through March 31.

It's a useful safety net. Maybe your doctor left the network in January, a prescription turned out to cost more than you expected, or the plan just isn't a good fit. Here's what you can and can't do.

Who can use it

This window is only for people who are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. For 2027, that means anyone in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, 2027, whether they've had it for years or just picked it during the fall.

There's also a version for people new to Medicare. If you joined a Medicare Advantage plan when you first got Medicare, Medicare says you can change plans or go back to Original Medicare within the first 3 months you have both Part A and Part B. That applies any time of year, not just January through March.

What you can change

During this period you can make one of these changes:

• Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan, with or without drug coverage.
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare. If you do, you can also join a stand-alone Medicare drug plan.

Your change takes effect the first day of the month after the new plan gets your request. So if a plan gets your request in mid-February, your new coverage starts March 1.

What you can't do

Medicare lists a few things this window doesn't allow:

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan.
• Join a Medicare drug plan if you're in Original Medicare.
• Switch from one drug plan to another if you're in Original Medicare.

The Medigap catch

If you leave Medicare Advantage for Original Medicare, you may want a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy to help with the 20% coinsurance and other costs. This is where people get surprised.

The best time to buy Medigap is your Medigap Open Enrollment Period, the 6 months that start the first month you're 65 or older and signed up for Part B. After that, Medicare says there's no federal guarantee an insurance company will sell you a policy, and if one does, it may cost more because of past or present health problems.

There's an important exception called a trial right. If you joined a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time and you return to Original Medicare within 12 months, you may have a federal right to buy a Medigap policy. Some people may have more rights under state law. In Texas, Medigap policies are sold by private companies regulated by the Texas Department of Insurance.

Bottom line: if you've had Medicare Advantage for more than a year and have health conditions, find out whether you can get a Medigap policy before you drop your plan.

A Texas checklist before you switch

Texas is big, and plan networks are local. Before you use your one change:

• Check your doctors by name. Especially if you live in a rural county and drive to a city for a specialist, confirm the specialist and the hospital are in the new plan's network.
• Check referrals. Medicare notes many HMOs require a referral from your primary care doctor to see a specialist.
• Run your prescriptions. Enter every drug and dose in the Medicare.gov Plan Finder and compare yearly costs, not just premiums.
• Look at the out-of-pocket maximum. It's the most you'd pay for covered in-network care in a year.
• Count the calendar. March 31 is the last day. If you wait until late March, your new coverage starts April 1.

Other ways to change plans

Missed the window, or don't qualify? You might still have options:

• Special Enrollment Periods open up for certain life events, such as moving out of your plan's service area or losing other coverage. Read moving to Texas on Medicare if a move is in your plans.
• The 5-star Special Enrollment Period lets you switch to a plan rated 5 stars, if one is offered where you live, one time between December 8 and November 30.
• Next fall's Open Enrollment Period, October 15 to December 7, is open to everyone.

For the big-picture comparison, see Medicare Advantage vs. Original Medicare in Texas. You can see 2027 plan counts for your area on our Medicare by county page.

Free, unbiased help

The Texas Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) offers free one-on-one Medicare counseling. Call 1-800-252-9240. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048, or compare plans on Medicare.gov.