Medicare Advantage

Reno Medicare Advantage Members Get One Switch Jan–March

People in Reno can choose from 42 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 47 this year. Twelve of this year’s plans are gone, 7 are new to Washoe County, and 23 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 11 of them under a new name.

Reno, Nev. — If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan last fall and something about it isn't sitting right — the pharmacy isn't in network, your doctor isn't covered, the referral rules feel too tight — you have a second chance. From January 1 through March 31, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period gives people already in an Advantage plan one opportunity to make a change.

Here's what that window actually lets you do, and what it doesn't.

What the January–March window is

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (often shortened to MA OEP) runs every year from January 1 to March 31. It is separate from the fall Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 to December 7), and the rules are narrower.

To use it, you must already be enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1. If you are in Original Medicare only, this window is not for you.

What you can change

During MA OEP, you can:

• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another (with or without drug coverage).
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare (Parts A and B).
• Add a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan if you go back to Original Medicare.

Any change you make takes effect the first day of the month after the plan receives your enrollment request.

What you cannot do

This window has limits. You cannot:

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time.
• Join or switch a stand-alone Part D plan if you're staying in Original Medicare.
• Make more than one change. You get one switch during this period — pick carefully.

If you drop Advantage and return to Original Medicare, keep in mind that buying a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy in Nevada may involve medical underwriting outside of your initial guaranteed-issue window. It's worth asking questions before you unwind coverage.

Why this window matters more in 2027

A few program-level changes make it worth taking a fresh look at your coverage this year:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your drug spending hits that amount, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D deductible maxes out at $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") 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 installments instead of paying big bills at the pharmacy counter. You opt in through your plan.

If your current plan's drug list, pharmacy network, or provider network is changing for 2027 — and plans do change every January — this is your chance to react.

The Reno picture

Reno sits in Washoe County, and Medicare Advantage plan availability is set at the county level. For 2027, Washoe County residents can choose from 31 Medicare Advantage plans offered by 9 carriers, down from 47 plans and 10 carriers in 2026. Of next year's lineup, 24 plans are continuing, 7 are new, 12 are not returning, and 11 have been renamed; 12 of the continuing plans are changing something in their terms, which their ANOC will spell out. You can see the exact list for your ZIP code using the Plan Finder tool at medicare.gov.

A local tip: Nevada's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), run through Nevada ADSD, offers free one-on-one counseling. Counselors don't sell anything, and they can walk through your specific drugs, doctors, and budget with you.