Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment in Clarksville, TN

People in Clarksville can choose from 49 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 57 this year. Twelve of this year’s plans are gone, 4 are new to Montgomery County, and 23 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 8 of them under a new name.

Clarksville, Tenn. — If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan last fall and it's not fitting the way you hoped, you have a second chance right now. From January 1 through March 31, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period gives people already in an Advantage plan one more window to make a change — no special reason required.

This shorter window often gets confused with the bigger fall enrollment period. It's not the same, and knowing the difference can save you from a costly mistake.

What the MA Open Enrollment Period actually is

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP) runs each year from January 1 to March 31. It's only for people who are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1.

During this window, you can:

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

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

What you cannot do in this window

This is where people get tripped up. The MA OEP is narrower than the fall Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7). During January through March, you cannot:

• Switch from Original Medicare into a Medicare Advantage plan.
• Join a Part D drug plan if you're on Original Medicare with no drug coverage.
• Make more than one Medicare Advantage change. You get one switch — use it thoughtfully.

If you're on Original Medicare right now and wish you had picked an Advantage plan back in the fall, you'll generally need to wait until the next Annual Enrollment Period, unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

Why this window exists

Sometimes a plan looks great on paper in October and feels different once you actually try to use it in January. Maybe your doctor isn't in the network after all. Maybe a medication you take is handled differently than you expected. Maybe the pharmacy you like doesn't have preferred pricing on your plan.

The MA OEP is Medicare's built-in "do-over." It's a chance to correct course after you've had a few weeks to see how the plan works in real life.

Local context for Clarksville

Clarksville is in Montgomery County, where Medicare Advantage availability is set at the county level by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). For 2027, Montgomery County has 41 Medicare Advantage plans from 9 carriers. If you're comparing options, the Plan Finder tool at medicare.gov will show you every Advantage and Part D plan offered in the county, along with each plan's network, drug list, and cost details.

A few program facts worth keeping in mind as you compare:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your drug spending reaches that amount, you pay nothing more for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone. 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 amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA — the income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D — starts above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming your plan is the same as last year. Plans send an Annual Notice of Change each fall. Networks, drug lists, and cost-sharing can shift year to year. If you skipped that letter, dig it out now.

Making a switch without checking the drug list. Before you move, confirm every one of your prescriptions is covered under the new plan and check the tier and any restrictions.

Forgetting to check the provider network. Call your doctors' offices directly and ask if they take the specific plan you're considering — not just the carrier.

Dropping Medicare Advantage without a plan for drugs. If you return to Original Medicare, you'll likely want a stand-alone Part D plan to avoid a late enrollment penalty later.