Medicare Advantage

Second Thoughts on Your Advantage Plan? Bend's March 31 Reset

BEND, Ore. — If the Medicare Advantage plan you started the year with isn't fitting the way you expected, you still have room to fix it. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31, and it gives people already enrolled in an Advantage plan a chance to make one change before the window closes.

That's a different window than the fall Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7), and it comes with its own rules about who can use it and what kind of switch is allowed. Here's what Bend residents should know before the calendar runs out.

Who this window is for

The January–March window is designed for one group: people who are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1. If that's you, and the plan isn't a good match — maybe your doctor isn't in the network, a prescription isn't covered the way you thought, or the plan's rules feel harder to work with than you expected — you don't have to wait until next fall to change course.

If you're on Original Medicare (Parts A and B) instead, this window doesn't apply to you. Your main chance to make changes was the Annual Enrollment Period that ended December 7.

What you can actually change

You get one change during this period. That change can look like:

• Switching from your current Medicare Advantage plan to a different Medicare Advantage plan.
• Leaving Medicare Advantage entirely and going back to Original Medicare. If you do that, you can also sign up for a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan at the same time.

What you cannot do during this window: enroll in an Advantage plan for the first time from Original Medicare, or pick up a stand-alone Part D plan if you're staying on Original Medicare without making the Advantage-to-Original switch.

When your change takes effect

Changes made during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period take effect the first day of the month after the plan gets your request. So a switch filed in February would generally start March 1, and a switch filed in March would generally start April 1. That timing matters if you're mid-treatment or filling regular prescriptions — plan ahead so you don't get caught between two plans.

How to decide if you should switch

Before you change anything, it helps to line up a few basics side by side:

• Your doctors and hospitals. In Bend and across Deschutes County, provider networks vary from plan to plan. Confirm that the providers you actually use are in-network under any plan you're considering.
• Your prescriptions. Each plan has its own drug list (formulary) and its own rules about tiers, prior authorization, and pharmacies. A plan that looked good on paper in December can feel different once you're using it.
• The Part D backdrop. Prescription drug costs have an annual out-of-pocket cap of $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027, and the Part D maximum deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027. The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone — replaced with three phases. There's also a Medicare Prescription Payment Plan that lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly amounts instead of paying big bills at the pharmacy counter.
• Extra benefits you actually use. If a plan's extras looked appealing but you haven't used them, that's useful information for comparison — not proof you should stay or leave.

What Star Ratings tell you (and what they don't)

Medicare gives Advantage and Part D plans a Star Rating from 1 to 5, based on things like member experience, customer service, and how the plan handles complaints. It's a general quality signal — not a personal fit score. A high-rated plan can still be a poor match if your doctor isn't in it, and a lower-rated plan might cover your specific prescriptions well. Use the ratings as one input, not the final word.

Where to get unbiased help in Bend

You don't have to figure this out alone. A few no-cost resources:

• Medicare.gov — the official Plan Finder lets you enter your prescriptions and compare plans available in Deschutes County.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — available 24/7 for enrollment questions.
• Oregon SHIBA (Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance) — Oregon's State Health Insurance Assistance Program offers free, one-on-one Medicare counseling. SHIBA counselors don't sell plans and don't earn commissions.