Medicare Advantage

One Medicare Advantage Change Allowed in Bowling Green

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The calendar just flipped, and with it comes a second chance many people don't know they have. From January 1 through March 31, anyone already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan can make one change to their coverage. This window is called the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, and it's separate from the fall Annual Enrollment Period that ended December 7.

If you signed up during the fall rush and are having second thoughts, this is the time to act.

What the January–March window is for

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (often shortened to MA OEP) is a do-over window. According to CMS, if you're enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, you get one opportunity between then and March 31 to change your mind.

It exists because coverage doesn't always look the same on paper as it does in real life. Maybe your doctor isn't in the network after all. Maybe a medication you take isn't covered the way you expected. Maybe the plan simply doesn't fit.

What you can — and can't — do

During this window, you can:

• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to a different Medicare Advantage plan.
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare (Parts A and B). If you do this, you can also join a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

What you cannot do during this window:

• Join a Medicare Advantage plan if you're currently on Original Medicare only.
• Switch from one stand-alone Part D plan to another (that's a fall AEP move).
• Make more than one change. Once you use it, it's used.

Why Bowling Green residents may want to look now

Bowling Green is in Warren County, where Medicare beneficiaries have a range of Medicare Advantage and Part D options offered by multiple carriers. That means if the plan you picked in the fall isn't working out, there are likely other choices in your ZIP code worth comparing.

The comparison tool at Medicare.gov lets you enter your ZIP code, your medications, and your preferred doctors or pharmacies to see how plans in Warren County line up against each other.

A few program numbers worth knowing

Some big program changes take effect in 2027. Whether you stay put or switch, these apply:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your covered drug spending hits that ceiling, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D deductible cannot be higher than $615 in 2026, rising to $700 in 2027.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your yearly drug costs into monthly installments if that helps your budget.
• IRMAA surcharges — extra amounts higher earners pay for Parts B and D — begin above $109,000 in income for single filers in 2026.

How to make a smart change

Before you switch anything, do three quick things:

1. Pull out your current plan's Evidence of Coverage or the Annual Notice of Change you received in the fall. That tells you what your plan looks like this year. 2. List your regular doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions. These are what decide whether a plan actually fits. 3. Compare on Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048), which is open 24/7.

Kentuckians can also get free, unbiased one-on-one help from the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which counsels Medicare beneficiaries across Warren County and the rest of the state.