Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment in Little Rock: One Switch Allowed

Pulaski County has 73 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 16 plans are not coming back, 12 are new, and 31 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 13 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Little Rock, not which plan to pick.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan during fall enrollment and are already having second thoughts, the calendar is on your side. From January 1 through March 31, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period gives you one more chance to make a change — but only one, and only if you're already in an Advantage plan on January 1.

That timing matters. Miss this window, and for most people the next chance to switch won't come until the Annual Enrollment Period starts again on October 15. Here's how the dates line up for Little Rock residents, and what happens if you let a deadline slip past.

The two windows, side by side

There are two enrollment periods most Little Rock beneficiaries need to know, and they do different jobs.

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) runs October 15 through December 7. This is the big one. Anyone with Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D drug plan. Changes take effect January 1.

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP) runs January 1 through March 31. It's narrower. You must already be in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1 to use it, and you get exactly one change.

Think of AEP as the front door and MA OEP as the safety valve.

What you can — and can't — do between Jan. 1 and March 31

During the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, you can:

• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another Medicare Advantage plan.
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare (Parts A and B).
• If you return to Original Medicare, you can also join a standalone Part D drug plan.

What you cannot do in this window:

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan.
• Join a standalone Part D plan if you're staying on Original Medicare and weren't already in an Advantage plan on January 1.
• Make a second change. Once you use your one switch, that's it until fall.

The change takes effect the first of the month after the plan gets your request.

What happens if you miss the window

This is where people in Pulaski County get tripped up. If March 31 passes and you're stuck in a plan that isn't working — maybe your doctor left the network, or a medication isn't covered the way you thought — your options narrow quickly.

For most people, the next chance to change is the fall AEP (October 15 – December 7), with coverage starting the following January 1. That can mean many months in a plan that doesn't fit.

There are exceptions, called Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs). You may qualify if you:

• Move out of your plan's service area.
• Lose other coverage (such as employer or union coverage).
• Move into, live in, or leave a nursing facility.
• Qualify for Extra Help or Medicaid.
• Are affected by a FEMA-declared emergency or disaster.

SEPs have their own rules and time limits, so it's worth calling 1-800-MEDICARE or your local SHIP counselor as soon as a life event happens.

How the dates interact with Part D

Prescription drug coverage follows its own logic. If you drop Medicare Advantage during the MA OEP and return to Original Medicare, you have until March 31 to also pick up a standalone Part D plan. If you don't and you go without creditable drug coverage, a late enrollment penalty can attach to your Part D premium later on.

For 2026, Part D has a $2,100 out-of-pocket cap and a maximum deductible of $615. The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025, replaced by a simpler three-phase structure. If drug costs are hard to budget month to month, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread payments across the year at no added cost.

Little Rock plan availability, in context

Little Rock sits in Pulaski County, and Medicare Advantage plan availability is set at the county level. That means the menu of plans a Little Rock resident sees is the same one available across Pulaski County. You can compare what's offered — including drug coverage, provider networks and Star Ratings — using the Plan Finder tool at medicare.gov.

Star Ratings (1 to 5) measure plan quality and member experience. They're a useful reference point, not a recommendation.

Avoiding the most common mistakes

A few patterns come up again and again:

• Assuming MA OEP is a second AEP. It isn't. You can't jump from Original Medicare into an Advantage plan during this window.
• Waiting until late March. Cutting it close leaves no room to fix problems if paperwork doesn't go through.
• Forgetting Part D. If you leave Advantage for Original Medicare, don't leave the pharmacy counter uncovered.
• Overlooking IRMAA. Higher-income beneficiaries pay an income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D. For 2026, IRMAA begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer.