Medicare Advantage

January to March: Your Medicare Advantage Switch Window

If you looked at your new Medicare Advantage plan in January and something felt off — a doctor left the network, a drug is no longer covered, the copays surprised you — you are not stuck with it. From January 1 through March 31, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP) gives you one clean chance to change course before spring.

Lincoln Park, Mich. — A Second Chance to Fix Your Coverage

This window is different from the fall Annual Enrollment Period. It is narrower, the rules are stricter, and most people can only use it once. Here is what it actually lets you do — and the mistakes that trip Lincoln Park readers up every year.

What You Can Do Between Jan. 1 and March 31

If you are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, the MA OEP lets you make one change. According to CMS, your options are:

• Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage).
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare (Parts A and B).
• If you go back to Original Medicare, you can also join a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

Whatever change you make takes effect the first day of the following month. So a switch made on February 10 begins March 1.

What You Cannot Do in This Window

This is where people get confused. The MA OEP is not a free-for-all. During January 1 – March 31, you cannot:

• Switch from one stand-alone Part D drug plan to another (if you are on Original Medicare).
• Join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time if you were on Original Medicare on January 1.
• Add a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy with guaranteed acceptance — in most cases, going back to Original Medicare means Medigap insurers in Michigan can medically underwrite you. That is a big decision to make with eyes open.

If you are not sure which category you fall into, call 1-800-MEDICARE or your local SHIP before you make a move.

Why Lincoln Park Readers Are Paying Closer Attention This Year

Lincoln Park is in Wayne County, where a wide range of Medicare Advantage and Part D options are available — the county has one of the larger plan menus in the state. More choice is good, but it also means small differences between plans (pharmacy networks, prior authorization rules, specialist access at Beaumont, Henry Ford, and DMC facilities) can matter a lot.

Two 2026 program-level changes are also shaping decisions:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 for 2026. Once your true out-of-pocket drug spending hits that number, you pay $0 for covered Part D drugs the rest of the year.
• The maximum Part D deductible is $615.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases, not four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly installments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter. You have to opt in.

None of these depend on which plan you pick — they apply program-wide.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Assuming you can switch more than once. You get one change during MA OEP. Use it deliberately.

2. Dropping Medicare Advantage without a Medigap plan lined up. Once you leave Advantage, buying a Medigap policy in Michigan usually involves health questions. Confirm your options first.

3. Forgetting drug coverage when you return to Original Medicare. If you switch back to Parts A and B and do not enroll in a stand-alone Part D plan, you could face a late-enrollment penalty later.

4. Skipping the pharmacy check. Before switching, run your exact medications through the Plan Finder at medicare.gov. A plan that looked great in December can look different once your specific drugs are entered.

5. Missing IRMAA. If your 2024 income was above $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (joint), you will pay an income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D in 2026. Switching plans does not change this.