Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: How to Switch Plans January-March

If you enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15-December 7) and have second thoughts, you are not locked in for the full year. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP) runs January 1 through March 31 and gives you a window to make one change.

The MA OEP is a limited enrollment window available to people who are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. It runs every year from January 1 through March 31, with changes taking effect the first day of the month after the plan receives your enrollment request.

You can use the MA OEP if you are currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan -- whether you enrolled during AEP, your Initial Enrollment Period, or any other time.

You cannot use the MA OEP if:

• You are enrolled in Original Medicare (not a Medicare Advantage plan)
• You want to switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage (use AEP for that)

During the MA OEP, you can make one of the following changes:

1. Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to a different Medicare Advantage plan
2. Disenroll from Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare -- and simultaneously enroll in a standalone Part D plan

If you enrolled in Medicare Advantage and want to return to Original Medicare, the MA OEP is your opportunity. When you disenroll from MA and return to Original Medicare, you can also enroll in a Part D plan.

What about Medigap? Returning to Original Medicare during MA OEP does not automatically give you Medigap guaranteed issue rights. In most states -- including Florida -- you would need to pass medical underwriting to enroll in Medigap outside of a guaranteed issue period.

Exception: If you are within your first year of Medicare Advantage enrollment (a "trial right"), you have guaranteed issue rights to return to Original Medicare and enroll in Medigap Plan A, B, C, F, K, or L without underwriting.

If you enrolled in Medicare Advantage for the first time and want to switch back to Original Medicare, you have a trial right -- a guaranteed issue right to return to Original Medicare and enroll in certain Medigap plans without medical underwriting.

When the trial right applies:

• You enrolled in MA when you first became eligible for Medicare (at 65)
• You enrolled in MA after dropping Medigap coverage

Window: Within the first 12 months of MA enrollment.

What you can enroll in: Medigap Plan A, B, C, F, K, or L (Plan G is not included in the federal trial right, but Florida may offer additional protections -- check with a licensed agent).

1. Choose your new plan -- use Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare
2. Enroll in the new plan -- online at medicare.gov, by calling the new plan directly, or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE
3. Your old plan is automatically disenrolled when your new plan enrollment is processed

You do not need to formally disenroll from your old plan -- enrolling in a new plan handles the transition automatically.

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.