Medicare Advantage

MA Open Enrollment: What Trenton Residents Can Change by March 31

TRENTON, N.J. — If you're on a Medicare Advantage plan and second-guessing the choice you made last fall, you have a built-in do-over. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31, and it gives Trenton-area residents one more chance to adjust their coverage before it locks in for the rest of the year.

This window is narrower than the fall Annual Enrollment Period, and it comes with its own set of rules about what you can — and can't — change. Here's what to know before the March 31 deadline.

What the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (often shortened to MA OEP) is a three-month window every year for people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1. It's separate from the fall Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7), when anyone with Medicare can make changes.

Think of the MA OEP as a course-correction tool. Maybe your plan's network changed, your doctor left it, or a medication you take is no longer covered the way you expected. This is your chance to adjust.

What you can change between January 1 and March 31

During the MA OEP, you can:

• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another Medicare Advantage plan.
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare (Parts A and B).
• If you return to Original Medicare, you can also join a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

What you cannot do in this window

The MA OEP has real limits. You cannot:

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan (this window is only for people already in an MA plan on January 1).
• Join a Part D drug plan if you're staying on Original Medicare and weren't already in an MA plan.
• Make more than one change. Once you make a switch, the door closes for the rest of the period.

Local context for Trenton

Trenton sits in Mercer County, and Medicare Advantage plan availability is set at the county level. That means the plan choices a Trenton resident sees are the same choices available across Mercer County. If you're comparing options, the plan finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your ZIP code and pull up every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan available in the county.

Availability, networks, and drug formularies can change from year to year, which is a big reason CMS built this second window into the calendar.

2027 program facts worth knowing

Whether you stay put or switch, a few program-wide numbers shape what your coverage will look like next year:

• 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, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D deductible cannot be more than $615 in 2026, rising to $700 in 2027.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated in 2025; Part D now has three phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across monthly payments instead of paying large amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• Income-related surcharges (IRMAA) on Part B and Part D begin above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.

How to make a change

You can compare plans and enroll at medicare.gov, call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) 24 hours a day, or get free one-on-one help from New Jersey's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), known locally as SHIP/NJ. SHIP counselors don't sell plans — they help you read your Annual Notice of Change, understand your options, and walk through the enrollment process.

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