Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment in Billings, MT

Your January to March Medicare Advantage switch window, explained for Billings, MT residents.

BILLINGS, Mont. — If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan last fall and now wonder if it really fits, you have a second look. From January 1 through March 31, 2027, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period lets people already in an Advantage plan make one change. In Billings, that means residents have a real menu to consider — Billings is in Yellowstone County, where 26 Medicare Advantage plans were offered in 2026 through 4 carriers. The 2027 lineup is in each plan's ANOC and on Medicare.gov's Plan Finder.

This article walks through what that window is, what it isn't, and how to size up your local options without getting lost.

What the January–March window actually does

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP) is not the same as the fall Annual Enrollment Period. It's narrower on purpose.

During MA OEP, if you are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you may do one of the following one time:

• Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan.
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare (Parts A and B), and add a stand-alone Part D drug plan if one is available in your area.

If you are on Original Medicare on January 1, this window does not let you jump into a Medicare Advantage plan. That move generally had to happen during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) or a Special Enrollment Period.

How many options Billings-area residents have

Plan availability is set by CMS at the county level, not the city. Billings is in Yellowstone County, and CMS's 2026 landscape data showed:

• 26 Medicare Advantage plans available in the county.
• 4 carriers offering Medicare Advantage plans that include drug coverage (MA-PD).
• 0 stand-alone Part D drug plans listed in the local landscape file for the county — a reminder to double-check drug coverage on medicare.gov before making any move.

With more than 30,000 people age 65 or older in Yellowstone County, the market has real choice. Choice is good — but it also means comparing carefully.

A note on Star Ratings

Medicare's Star Ratings, from 1 to 5, are one signal of a contract's quality on measures like customer service and care coordination. They can shift year to year. In the Billings service area, CMS shows no contracts rated 4 stars or higher for the current cycle. That's a data point, not a verdict — ratings are just one of many things to weigh alongside your doctors, your prescriptions, and your budget.

What's changing under Part D in 2027

Even if you don't touch your Advantage plan, a few program-wide drug rules are worth knowing:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your covered drug spending hits that amount in a given year, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of that year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated as of 2025. Part D now has three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your out-of-pocket drug costs across the calendar year in monthly installments, at no extra charge. You have to opt in.
• IRMAA — the income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D premiums — kicks in above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

How to use the window without rushing

A few practical steps before you switch anything:

1. Write down your current doctors, your pharmacy, and every prescription (name, dose, frequency). 2. Go to medicare.gov's Plan Finder and enter your ZIP code and drug list. It will show which plans in Yellowstone County cover your medications and whether your providers are in network. 3. Check for referrals, prior authorization, and out-of-network rules — those affect real life more than a headline number. 4. Only make a change if a different plan clearly fits better. Standing pat is a valid choice.

Any change you make during MA OEP generally takes effect the first day of the following month.

Where to get unbiased help in Montana

You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to talk to a salesperson to get answers.

• Medicare.gov — official plan comparisons and coverage rules.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24/7 help from Medicare.
• Montana SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) — free, one-on-one counseling from trained volunteers who don't sell insurance. Ask for the counselor serving Yellowstone County.