Medicare Advantage

Why Southaven Medicare Advantage Members Get a Second Chance

Southaven, Miss. — If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan during fall enrollment and are now second-guessing your choice, you have a rarely discussed do-over that runs from January 1 through March 31. It's called the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, and it gives current Advantage members one clean chance to change course before the year gets away from them.

Here's what this window actually lets you do — and, just as important, what it doesn't.

What the Jan. 1–March 31 window is (and isn't)

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA-OEP) is different from the fall Annual Enrollment Period, which ended December 7. During MA-OEP, according to CMS, people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1 can make one change. That change takes effect the first of the month after the plan receives your request.

This period is not open to everyone. If you're on Original Medicare (Parts A and B) with or without a stand-alone Part D drug plan, you cannot use MA-OEP to jump into a Medicare Advantage plan. You'd need to wait for the next fall AEP or qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

The changes you can make between Jan. 1 and March 31

If you're currently in a Medicare Advantage plan, you may:

• Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage).
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare. If you do that, you may also add a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

That's it. You get one move — not a series of test drives. If you switch on January 20 and change your mind again on March 1, whether you can move a second time depends on whether you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

What you cannot do in this window

It's worth being blunt about the limits, because misunderstandings here are common:

• You cannot join a Medicare Advantage plan if you're starting from Original Medicare.
• You cannot switch from one stand-alone Part D drug plan to another if you're on Original Medicare.
• You cannot enroll in a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy through this window without going through medical underwriting in most cases. Medigap has its own separate rules, and leaving an Advantage plan does not automatically guarantee you a Medigap policy.

That last point trips up a lot of people. If you're thinking about dropping Advantage and going back to Original Medicare specifically so you can buy a Medigap plan, talk to your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor first about whether you'd be accepted.

Why this window exists — and how to use it well

MA-OEP is essentially a safety valve. Plans change their networks, formularies, and cost structures each January, and sometimes the plan you picked in October simply doesn't fit once you use it. Maybe your doctor isn't in-network after all. Maybe your prescription is on a higher tier than you expected.

Before you switch, do three things:

1. Read the "Evidence of Coverage" and formulary for your current plan as it exists in 2027, not the version you had in 2026. 2. Confirm your doctors and pharmacies are in-network for any plan you're considering. 3. Check your drugs on the new plan's formulary, including tier and any prior-authorization requirements.

Local context: Southaven and DeSoto County

Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level. Southaven is in DeSoto County, Mississippi, and residents choose from the Advantage and Part D plans CMS approves for that service area. You can see the exact list — updated for 2027 — using the Plan Finder at medicare.gov, which lets you enter your ZIP code, your prescriptions, and your preferred pharmacies to compare options side by side. Your current plan's 2027 details are also in the ANOC it sent this fall.

2027 numbers worth knowing before you switch

A few program-level facts apply no matter which plan you're comparing:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 for 2026. Once your covered drug spending hits that ceiling, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D deductible: up to $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027) (plans may charge less).
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone as of 2025; Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly payments rather than paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter. It's optional and free to opt into.
• IRMAA (the income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D) starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming your plan is identical to last year. Benefits, networks, and drug lists reset every January.
• Switching in a hurry based on a mailer or TV ad. Marketing materials don't tell you whether your specific doctors and drugs are covered.
• Dropping Advantage without a Medigap plan lined up. You may not be able to get one, or you may pay more due to underwriting.
• Missing March 31. After that date, you generally can't change plans again until fall AEP unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (moving, losing other coverage, gaining/losing Extra Help, etc.).