Medicare Advantage

Westland Medicare Advantage Enrollees Get One Change by March 31

For 2027, Westland is looking at 86 Medicare Advantage plans: 12 new, 16 gone since 2026, and 37 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 5 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Wayne County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

WESTLAND, Mich. — If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan during the fall and now wish you'd picked differently, you get one more chance. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31, and it gives people already on an Advantage plan a limited window to make a single change.

This period is easy to confuse with the fall Annual Enrollment Period, but the rules are narrower and the choices are fewer. Here's what Westland residents need to know before the March 31 deadline.

Who can use this window

This period is only for people who are already in a Medicare Advantage plan as of January 1. If that's you, and you're second-guessing your fall choice, you have until March 31 to make a move.

If you're on Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) with or without a stand-alone Part D drug plan, this window is not for you. You'd need to wait until the fall Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) to join an Advantage plan, unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

What you're allowed to change

You get one change during these three months. Your options are:

• Switch from your current Medicare Advantage plan to a different Medicare Advantage plan.
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare. If you do this, you can also join a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

Once you make a change, it takes effect the first day of the following month. After that, you're locked in until fall — unless a Special Enrollment Period applies (for example, if you move out of your plan's service area).

What this window is NOT for

A few things you cannot do between January and March:

• You cannot join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time if you're on Original Medicare.
• You cannot switch from one stand-alone Part D drug plan to another if you're on Original Medicare.
• You cannot use this window to buy a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy with guaranteed acceptance in most cases — Medigap has its own rules, and medical underwriting may apply outside your initial window.

Why people use it

Common reasons Westland-area readers tell us they revisit their plan in the new year:

• Their doctor or preferred hospital is not in the new plan's network.
• A prescription they take is not covered the way they expected.
• They realized Original Medicare plus a drug plan might fit their situation better.
• The plan's rules for referrals, prior authorization, or pharmacies caught them off guard once coverage started.

Westland is in Wayne County, and Wayne County offers a wide range of Medicare Advantage options, so there is real room to compare if you decide to switch.

A few 2027 numbers worth knowing

Whether you stay put or switch, these program-wide figures apply for 2027:

• Part D out-of-pocket drug spending is capped at $2,400 for the year.
• The Part D deductible cannot be higher than $700.
• The old coverage gap (the "donut hole") is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly bills instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• Higher-income surcharges (IRMAA) begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

How to decide before March 31

Take it step by step:

1. Pull out your plan's Evidence of Coverage or "Annual Notice of Change" from last fall. 2. List your doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions. 3. Use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov to compare what's available in Wayne County against your list. 4. Call the plan directly to confirm your providers and drugs before you switch. 5. If you want unbiased help, contact Michigan's SHIP — the Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP) — at 1-800-803-7174.