Medicare Advantage

How Richmond Residents Can Change a Medicare Advantage Plan

People in Richmond can choose from 74 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 72 this year. Eight of this year’s plans are gone, 10 are new to Richmond city, and 42 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 14 of them under a new name.

RICHMOND, Va. — If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan during the fall and now wish you hadn't, take a breath. From January 1 through March 31, Medicare gives you a do-over. It's called the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA-OEP), and it's a chance to make one change if your current plan isn't working out.

Richmond seniors get a second chance to fix their Medicare Advantage pick

This window is easy to miss because it comes right after the busier Annual Enrollment Period that ended December 7. But for Richmond-area residents who are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, MA-OEP is a real second chance — no penalty, no special reason required.

What you can (and can't) do between January 1 and March 31

The MA-OEP is narrower than the fall enrollment window. Here's what's on the table:

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.

You can't:

• Switch from Original Medicare into a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time during this window.
• Join or switch a stand-alone Part D plan if you're staying in Original Medicare without a Medicare Advantage change.
• Make more than one change. You only get one MA-OEP move per year.

If you never enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, this window generally isn't for you — you'd wait until the fall Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) or a Special Enrollment Period if you qualify.

Why Richmond residents might want to look again

Plans can change from year to year, and the plan that looked right in October may feel different once you actually start using it in January. Common reasons people rethink their choice:

• A doctor or hospital isn't in-network after all.
• A prescription costs more than expected, or isn't on the formulary.
• A specialist referral process is more complicated than anticipated.
• The plan's extra benefits (dental, vision, transportation) don't match what you actually need.

Richmond is in Richmond city, Virginia, where Medicare beneficiaries typically have a wide selection of Medicare Advantage plans from multiple carriers to consider. Plan availability is set at the county level by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), so what's offered here may differ from what's offered a county over.

Key 2027 numbers to keep in mind

Whether you're comparing Medicare Advantage plans or thinking about returning to Original Medicare with a Part D drug plan, these program-level figures apply across the board:

• $2,400 — the out-of-pocket cap for Part D prescription drug costs in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026). Once you hit it, you pay nothing more for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• $700 — the maximum Part D deductible a plan can charge in 2027 (it is $615 in 2026).
• Three phases — the Part D "donut hole" was eliminated as of 2025, so there are now three coverage phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan — an optional program that lets you spread your drug costs across monthly payments instead of paying large amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• $109,000 — the income threshold (single filer, 2026) above which IRMAA surcharges begin adding to your Part B and Part D premiums.

How to decide if a switch makes sense

Before you change anything, gather a few things:

1. Your current plan's Evidence of Coverage and the "Annual Notice of Change" you received this fall. 2. A list of your prescriptions, with dosages. 3. A list of your doctors and any specialists you see regularly. 4. Any upcoming procedures or planned care in 2027.

Then compare — carefully — using medicare.gov's Plan Finder tool, which lets you enter your ZIP code and drugs to see how different plans handle your specific situation. That's the most honest apples-to-apples comparison you can make.

If the exercise feels overwhelming, you're not alone. Free, unbiased help is available (see below).

Where Richmond residents can get free, one-on-one help

You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to talk to a salesperson to get answers.

• Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP) — Virginia's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Counselors are trained volunteers who don't sell plans. Call 1-800-552-3402.
• Medicare directly — call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24/7.
• Medicare.gov — the official site for comparing plans, checking drug coverage, and reviewing your account.