Medicare Advantage
Owensboro Medicare Advantage: Your Jan. 1–March 31 Deadline
OWENSBORO, Ky. — The calendar is the quiet villain of Medicare. Miss a window by a day and you may wait months for another chance. That is why the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, which runs January 1 through March 31, matters so much to people here in Daviess County who signed up during fall and are now living with a plan that is not quite fitting.
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Key takeaways
- The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31 and gives you one chance to change or drop the Advantage plan you have.
- The fall Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) is the broader window — it covers Advantage, Part D, and switches between Original Medicare and Advantage.
- If you miss both windows, you generally must wait until the next fall unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
- The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. The maximum Part D deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
This piece is about the dates: which window does what, what you can and cannot do inside each one, and what happens if you let one slip past.
Two windows, two different jobs
People often lump the fall and winter windows together, but they do different things.
The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) runs October 15 through December 7. This is the wide-open window. During AEP you can:
- Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or the other way around.
- Change from one Advantage plan to another.
- Join, drop, or switch a stand-alone Part D drug plan.
Whatever you choose during AEP takes effect January 1.
The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA-OEP) runs January 1 through March 31. This one is narrower. It exists for people who are already in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1 and realize, once the new plan year starts, that something is wrong — a doctor is out of network, a medicine is not covered the way they expected, the referral rules do not fit their life.
During MA-OEP you can:
- Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage).
- Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare — and if you do that, you can also join a stand-alone Part D plan.
You get one change during this window. Once you make it, the window closes for you, even if it is still February.
What MA-OEP will not let you do
This is where Owensboro readers often get tripped up. If you are on Original Medicare on January 1, the MA-OEP is not for you. You cannot use it to jump into a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time, and you cannot use it to pick up a stand-alone Part D plan on its own. Those moves belong to AEP in the fall, or to a Special Enrollment Period if one applies.
You also cannot use MA-OEP to shop Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policies. Those follow separate rules set largely by Kentucky, and medical underwriting may apply outside of your initial six-month Medigap open enrollment.
The change takes effect the first of the next month
Timing matters inside the window, too. If you make a change on January 20, your new coverage starts February 1. If you wait until March 28, the new plan does not start until April 1 — and you spend most of March still on the plan you wanted to leave. If a specific doctor visit or prescription refill is driving the decision, work backward from the date you need coverage in place.
What happens if you miss both windows
If you let both AEP and MA-OEP pass, the default answer is: you keep what you have until the next October 15. That is not the end of the world — plans are required to cover you as described in your Evidence of Coverage all year — but it does mean you live with the fit for another eight or nine months.
The exception is a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). SEPs open for specific life events: moving out of your plan’s service area, losing employer coverage, qualifying for Extra Help or Medicaid, entering or leaving a nursing facility, and a handful of others. If any of those happened, call 1-800-MEDICARE before you assume you are stuck.
A quick note on what is new for 2027
Even if your plan letter looks familiar, the Part D rules underneath it have shifted. For 2026, your out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs is capped at $2,100 for the year, and no Part D plan can charge a deductible higher than $615. The old coverage gap — the “donut hole” — is gone as of 2025; there are now three phases instead of four. If your drug costs feel front-loaded, ask about the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which spreads what you owe across the calendar year in monthly installments rather than all at once at the pharmacy counter.
Higher-income beneficiaries should also know that IRMAA surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.
Plan availability in Daviess County
Owensboro is in Daviess County, where a range of Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are offered each year by multiple carriers. Because plan lineups, provider networks, and drug formularies change annually, the plan that fit you in 2026 may not be the best fit in 2027. The 2027 lineup for your current plan is spelled out in its Annual Notice of Change, and all 2027 options in Daviess County are on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. That mismatch between last year's fit and this year's plan is exactly the situation MA-OEP was designed to fix.
Compare plans on the official Plan Finder at medicare.gov, or get free, unbiased help from Kentucky’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which offers one-on-one counseling at no cost.
By the numbers
Medicare Part B premium, 2006–2026
The standard monthly Part B premium has climbed from $88.50 in 2006 to $202.90 in 2026. Hover any point for that year’s premium.
Source: CMS. Standard premium shown; in some hold-harmless years many existing enrollees paid less. Confirm at Medicare.gov.
By the numbers
How people get Medicare in Daviess County
(MA penetration in Daviess County)
MA penetration from CMS enrollment data; Medigap share is an estimate. U.S. average is about 54% Medicare Advantage. These are area-level figures, not plan-specific.
Key dates
Medicare enrollment periods at a glance
- Around your 65thInitial Enrollment PeriodA 7-month window around the month you turn 65 — your first chance to sign up.
- October 15 – December 7Annual Enrollment PeriodAnyone with Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
- January 1 – March 31Medicare Advantage Open EnrollmentIf you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change.
- January 1 – March 31General Enrollment PeriodFor people who missed their first chance to sign up for Part B.
- VariesSpecial Enrollment PeriodTriggered by life events like moving or losing other coverage.
Dates are set by Medicare and apply nationwide. Confirm your personal windows at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Explore
When can you enroll? An interactive year
Enrollment windows are federal and the same nationwide. Confirm your personal dates at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Explore
The parts of Medicare
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Can I switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan during MA-OEP?
How many changes can I make between January 1 and March 31?
When does my new coverage actually start?
What if I move out of Owensboro during the year?
- CMS — Medicare enrollment periods (medicare.gov)
For personalized answers, contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local SHIP.
Also for Owensboro
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This page was last updated: September 30, 2026.