Medicare Advantage
How Cottage Grove Enrollees Can Change Medicare Advantage
COTTAGE GROVE, Minn. — If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan during fall enrollment and are having second thoughts, you get a do-over. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31, and it gives people already in an Advantage plan one chance to make a change before the year gets rolling.
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Key takeaways
- The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31 each year, and any change you make takes effect the first of the following month.
- Only people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1 can use this window — it is not open to people who only have Original Medicare.
- You can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or drop your plan and return to Original Medicare (with a stand-alone Part D drug plan if you need one).
- You get one change during this period, so it pays to compare on Medicare.gov or call your local SHIP counselor before you switch.
This window is different from the Annual Enrollment Period that just ended December 7. It's narrower in who it helps and what it lets you do — but for Cottage Grove residents who realized a new plan doesn't fit their doctor, pharmacy, or prescriptions, it's an important second chance.
Who can use this window
The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is for people who are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan as of January 1. If that's you, and something about your plan isn't working — the network is too narrow, a prescription isn't covered the way you expected, or your regular doctor isn't in-network — you can act between January 1 and March 31.
If you have only Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), this period does not apply to you. You'd need to wait for the next Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) or qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
What you can change
During this window, you have three options:
- Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage).
- Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare.
- Add a stand-alone Part D drug plan if you return to Original Medicare and want prescription coverage.
What you cannot do during this window: switch from Original Medicare into a Medicare Advantage plan, or join a stand-alone Part D plan if you're staying with Original Medicare (unless a Special Enrollment Period applies).
You get one change during this period. Once it goes into effect, you're locked in until the next enrollment window, so it's worth thinking it through.
When your change takes effect
Any switch you make is effective the first day of the month after the plan receives your enrollment. Make a change in February, and coverage begins March 1. Make it in late March, and coverage starts April 1.
Plan choices in the Cottage Grove area
Cottage Grove is in Washington County, where a range of Medicare Advantage plans from multiple carriers were offered for 2026. Because plan benefits, provider networks, and drug formularies vary — and can change from year to year — check your plan's ANOC for 2027 changes and use the plan finder at Medicare.gov to see the 2027 lineup at your address.
2027 program facts worth knowing
Even if you're mainly focused on your Advantage plan, a few program-level changes for 2027 are worth having in mind as you compare:
- Part D out-of-pocket cap: Prescription drug costs are capped at $2,100 for the year across Medicare drug coverage.
- Part D deductible: The maximum allowed deductible is $615.
- No more donut hole: The coverage gap was eliminated in 2025. Part D now has three phases (deductible, initial coverage, catastrophic).
- Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: You can choose to spread your drug costs into monthly payments across the year instead of paying at the pharmacy counter.
- IRMAA: Higher-income surcharges on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.
How to decide before you switch
A few practical steps before you make a change:
1. Pull out your plan's "Evidence of Coverage" and Annual Notice of Change and check what's actually changing for 2027. 2. Confirm your doctors and preferred pharmacy are in the plan's network. 3. Check that your prescriptions are on the formulary and see what tier they fall into. 4. Compare plans side-by-side on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder, using your list of drugs. 5. Call your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) — in Minnesota, that's the Senior LinkAge Line at 1-800-333-2433 — for free, unbiased help.
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 Washington County
(MA penetration in Washington 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 this window?
How many times can I change my plan between January and March?
If I drop my Medicare Advantage plan, will I automatically get drug coverage?
Where can I get free help comparing plans in Cottage Grove?
- CMS — Medicare enrollment periods (medicare.gov)
For personalized answers, contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local SHIP.
Also for Cottage Grove
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This page was last updated: September 30, 2026.