Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (Jan 1–Mar 31, 2027): Changing Course If Your New Plan Isn't Working

What is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period?

It's a yearly window, January 1 through March 31, for people in a Medicare Advantage plan. That's a Medicare-approved plan from a private company that you join instead of Original Medicare. During it, you can make one change to your coverage. It's separate from the fall open enrollment, October 15 to December 7, when most people choose their coverage for the next year.

If you have Original Medicare, this window doesn't apply to you.

This page covers what to do if your new plan isn't working for your care. For costs and the bigger picture, see our guide to Medicare open enrollment 2027 and what's changing in Medicare Advantage for 2027.

What you can change

During this period, you can either:

• Move to another Medicare Advantage plan, with or without drug coverage

• Leave Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare, then join a separate Medicare drug plan (Part D)

Your change usually starts on the first day of the month after the new plan gets your request. Check the start date with the new plan.

Signs your new plan isn't working for your care

The signs usually come up when you book a visit or fill a prescription. Watch for these:

• Your doctor isn't in the network. For care that isn't an emergency, a plan may ask you to use its network.

• You need a referral you didn't need before. Some plans need a referral from your primary care doctor before you see a specialist.

• Care needs approval first. Prior authorization means the plan must approve a service or drug before it pays.

• A drug isn't covered the way it was. It may be missing from the drug list. Or it may need prior authorization, step therapy (trying a lower-cost drug first) or a quantity limit.

• Your pharmacy changed. A pharmacy outside the plan's preferred list may cost more.

A problem doesn't always mean you need a new plan. You or your prescriber can ask your plan for an exception, such as covering a drug that isn't on its list. Your prescriber may need to send a supporting statement. Your plan's Evidence of Coverage, the document that lists what it covers and what you pay, explains how.

Keeping your care going while you decide

A plan problem shouldn't mean going without a medicine you've taken for years. These steps can help you avoid a gap:

1. Ask about a transition supply. When your drug coverage begins, a plan may give you a temporary supply of a drug you already take; ask the plan how it works. This applies to a drug the plan doesn't cover or that needs approval. It gives you time to ask for an exception or talk with your doctor.

2. Plan your renewals. A renewal is a new prescription for a medicine you already take. If a prescription is running low, ask about a renewal before it runs out.

3. Start approvals early. If a drug or service needs prior authorization, ask your doctor to send the request soon.

4. Keep your records. Ask for recent visit notes and test results, so a new doctor can pick up where the last one left off.

Medicare's expanded telehealth rules, which let many people have video visits from home, run through December 31, 2027. Check your plan's Evidence of Coverage to see which video visits it covers. While you sort out a new network, a video visit can handle a renewal or a new health question. Doctronic accepts Medicare, and a licensed doctor is available by video.

Where to get help

Doctronic isn't a licensed insurance agent or broker and doesn't recommend plans. For free help comparing them before March 31:

• Medicare.gov: the Medicare Plan Finder compares plans' costs, drug lists, doctors and star ratings.

• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227): Medicare's own help line.

• Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP): free, one-on-one counseling.

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm new to Medicare. Do I get this window too?

Yes, with different dates. If you're new to Medicare and join a Medicare Advantage plan, you get a window in your first months of coverage. Check your dates on Medicare.gov.

Can I change only my drug plan between January 1 and March 31?

Not by itself. In Medicare Advantage, you can move to another Medicare Advantage plan with different drug coverage.

If I return to Original Medicare, can I buy a Medigap policy?

Maybe. Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) helps pay your share of Original Medicare costs. Outside certain protected situations, an insurer can deny you a policy based on your health. Check your state's rules with your State Insurance Department.

What if I miss March 31?

You may still qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, for example if you move or lose other coverage. Otherwise, the next chance to change plans is fall open enrollment, October 15 to December 7, for coverage that starts January 1.

Can I make a second change before March 31?

No. After your one change, you can change again only in a Special Enrollment Period, if you qualify, or in fall open enrollment.

The Bottom Line

If your new plan isn't working, write down what went wrong: a doctor, a drug or an approval. Ask your plan about an exception or a transition supply first. If you decide to change, check each doctor and drug against the new plan's network and drug list before March 31, 2027.