Medicare Advantage

Minnetonka's Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: What You Can Change by March 31

For 2027, Minnetonka is looking at 25 Medicare Advantage plans: 6 new, 13 gone since 2026, and 9 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 3 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Hennepin County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

MINNETONKA, Minn. — If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan during fall enrollment and are having second thoughts, you still have time. From January 1 through March 31, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period gives people already enrolled in an Advantage plan one more window to adjust their coverage before it locks in for the rest of the year.

This period is different from the fall Annual Enrollment Period, and it comes with its own set of rules about what you can — and can't — do. For Minnetonka residents weighing a switch, here's what to know.

Who this enrollment period is for

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is meant for people who are already in a Medicare Advantage plan as of January 1. If you're in Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and want to move into an Advantage plan now, this isn't the window for that — you'd generally need to wait for the next Annual Enrollment Period in the fall, unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

If you enrolled in an Advantage plan during last fall's Annual Enrollment Period and it started January 1, you're eligible to use this window to make a change.

What you can change between January 1 and March 31

During this period, you can:

• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another Medicare Advantage plan.
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare. If you do that, you can also join a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

You can only make one change during this window. Once you make a switch, it's set until the next Annual Enrollment Period unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (for example, if you move out of your plan's service area).

What you can't do

This period is narrower than the fall window. You can't:

• Join a Medicare Advantage plan if you're currently in Original Medicare.
• Join, switch, or drop a stand-alone Part D plan if you're staying in Original Medicare without an Advantage plan change.
• Sign up for a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy through this window — Medigap has its own separate enrollment rules, and depending on when you apply, you may face medical underwriting.

Why 2027 changes may have Minnetonka residents rethinking coverage

A few program-wide updates take effect January 1 that are worth checking against your current plan:

• A $2,400 out-of-pocket cap on Part D drug costs in 2027. Once you hit that limit on covered prescriptions, you pay nothing more for the rest of the year on those drugs.
• A maximum Part D deductible of $700 in 2027. Plans can charge less, but not more.
• The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") is gone. Part D now has three phases instead of 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.

If your plan's formulary, provider network, or pharmacy list changed on January 1 in ways that don't work for you, this is your chance to correct course.

Local context for Minnetonka

Minnetonka is in Hennepin County, where Medicare beneficiaries typically have a wide range of Medicare Advantage and Part D options to compare. Plan availability, networks, and drug lists are set at the county level, so two neighbors in different counties may see different choices. The Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your ZIP code and your prescriptions to see what's available in your area.

How to make a change

The most reliable ways to review or switch plans:

1. Visit medicare.gov and use the Plan Finder tool. 2. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24/7. 3. Contact the Minnesota State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), called the Senior LinkAge Line in Minnesota, at 1-800-333-2433. Their counselors offer free, unbiased one-on-one help.

Whatever you decide, don't wait until the last week of March. Giving yourself time to compare plans — and to call your doctors and pharmacy to confirm they're in-network — makes the process far less stressful.