Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment in Nashville: The Rules

Davidson County has 69 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 14 plans are not coming back, 9 are new, and 30 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 9 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Nashville, not which plan to pick.

NASHVILLE — Jan. 1 opens a three-month window when people already in a Medicare Advantage plan get one more chance to change course. Here's how it works, and what you can and can't do before March 31.

If you enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan during last fall's Annual Enrollment Period and something about it isn't sitting right — a doctor who isn't in-network, a prescription that costs more than you expected, or a plan that just doesn't fit your life — you're not stuck until next October.

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs from January 1 through March 31 every year, and it gives current Advantage members a second look. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), it's a separate window from the fall Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7), with its own set of rules about what you can change.

Who this window is for

This period is only for people who are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1. If you're on Original Medicare (Parts A and B) with or without a stand-alone Part D drug plan, this window is not for you — you'd generally need to wait for the fall AEP or qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

If you turn 65 in the first quarter and are enrolling for the first time, that's a different pathway (your Initial Enrollment Period), not the MA Open Enrollment Period.

What you can change between Jan. 1 and March 31

During this window, you can make one change. Your options are:

• Switch from your current Medicare Advantage plan to a different Medicare Advantage plan.
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare. If you do, you can also add a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

That's it. Once you make a change, it takes effect the first day of the following month, and the window closes for you until next January (unless a Special Enrollment Period applies).

What you cannot do in this window

A few important limits, straight from Medicare's rules:

• You cannot switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan during this period.
• You cannot join a stand-alone Part D drug plan if you're staying on Original Medicare and weren't already on one — unless you're leaving an Advantage plan.
• You cannot switch from one stand-alone Part D plan to another.

Also worth knowing: buying or switching a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy after you drop back to Original Medicare may involve medical underwriting in Tennessee, depending on your situation. That's worth checking before you make a move.

The Nashville picture

Nashville sits in Davidson County, and Medicare Advantage plan availability is set at the county level. If you want to see exactly how many Advantage plans and stand-alone Part D plans are offered in Davidson County for 2027, the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare lets you filter by ZIP code and compare based on your own prescriptions and preferred doctors.

As you weigh a change, a few program-level facts are worth keeping in mind:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 — once your covered drug spending hits that, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D deductible cannot exceed $615.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone; Part D now has three phases (deductible, initial coverage, catastrophic).
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly payments instead of paying big bills at the pharmacy counter.

How to decide if switching is right for you

Before you make a change, pull out your current plan's Evidence of Coverage and the Annual Notice of Change you received last fall. Then ask yourself:

1. Are my doctors and hospitals still in-network for 2027? Networks change every year. Call the offices and confirm. 2. Are my prescriptions still covered, and at what tier? A drug that was affordable in 2026 could sit on a higher tier in 2027. 3. Have my health needs changed? New diagnoses, new specialists, or more frequent visits may point you toward a different plan structure. 4. Would Original Medicare plus a Part D plan (and possibly a Medigap policy) fit me better? Some people prefer the broader provider access; others prefer the extras Advantage plans often bundle.

If you're not sure, don't guess. Free, unbiased help is available.