What is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January to March?
The short answer
The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31 each year. During this time, people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare.
The full explanation
If you enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan during the fall and then had second thoughts, or if your plan changed in ways that no longer work for you, this period gives you one chance to make a switch. Between January 1 and March 31, you can move from one Medicare Advantage plan to another, or drop your Medicare Advantage plan entirely and go back to Original Medicare. If you go back to Original Medicare during this window, you can also join a standalone Part D plan, which covers prescription drugs. One important distinction: this period is only for people who are already in a Medicare Advantage plan. If you currently have Original Medicare, this period does not allow you to join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time. That opportunity comes during the fall Open Enrollment Period, which runs October 15 through December 7. Any changes you make during January through March take effect the first of the following month.
Related Medicare Resources
In
specifically
Utah has several Medicare Advantage carriers, including SelectHealth, Regence BlueCross, UHC, Humana, Aetna, Devoted Health, and others. Plan availability varies by county, so if you are considering a switch, confirming which plans are available in your area is an important first step.
What this means for you
For you, this means if your Medicare Advantage plan is not working out after the new year begins, you have until March 31 to make one change without waiting until fall.
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