Medicare Advantage

Second Chance on Medicare Advantage for Greenfield Enrollees

Milwaukee County has 52 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 6 plans are not coming back, 6 are new, and 31 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 12 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for Greenfield, not which plan to pick.

GREENFIELD, Wis. — If you sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan this fall and something about it isn't sitting right, you have a second chance starting January 1. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31, 2027, and it gives people already on an Advantage plan one clean opportunity to make a change before the year settles in.

Here's what this window is, what it isn't, and how to think it through.

What the January–March window actually is

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (often called MA-OEP) is a limited do-over. It's only for people who are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1. During these three months, you can make one change — and then it locks in.

This is different from the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7), when anyone with Medicare can shop, compare, and switch freely. If you missed that fall window, MA-OEP is your next chance, but the rules are narrower.

What you can do between Jan. 1 and March 31

If you're on a Medicare Advantage plan, you can:

• Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage).
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare (Parts A and B).
• Add a stand-alone Part D drug plan if you go back to Original Medicare.

You get one change during this window. Whatever you pick takes effect the first day of the following month.

What you cannot do in this window

This part trips people up, so it's worth being clear:

• If you're on Original Medicare on January 1, you cannot use MA-OEP to join a Medicare Advantage plan.
• You cannot use it to join a stand-alone Part D plan if you're staying on Original Medicare without a coverage change.
• You cannot make a second switch later in the same window — one change is the limit.

For anything outside those lanes, you'd generally need to wait for the next fall Annual Enrollment Period, or qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (for example, if you move or lose other coverage).

Why this matters more in 2027

A few program-level changes make it worth a fresh look at your coverage for the coming year:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: The cap on what you pay out of pocket for covered prescription drugs is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027.
• Part D deductible: The maximum allowed deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027 (plans can set it lower).
• No more donut hole: The old coverage gap was eliminated in 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: You can choose to spread your drug costs into monthly payments across the year instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA: Higher-income surcharges on Part B and Part D start above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026.

If your plan feels different than you expected in January — a medication isn't covered the way you thought, a doctor isn't in network, or a referral rule is a surprise — those are exactly the kinds of things this window exists for.

Greenfield and Milwaukee County: what's local

Greenfield sits in Milwaukee County, and Medicare Advantage plan availability is set at the county level by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). That means every Greenfield resident on Medicare is choosing from the same slate of Milwaukee County plans as their neighbors in nearby communities.

When you compare options on Medicare.gov, the tool uses your ZIP code to show what's available where you live. Networks (which doctors and hospitals are in-plan) can vary a lot from one plan to the next, so if you have providers you want to keep, check each plan's directory before you switch.

How to make a smart move before March 31

A short checklist:

1. Pull out your current plan's Evidence of Coverage and your 2027 Annual Notice of Change. These explain what's changing. 2. List your prescriptions and doctors. Then check them against any plan you're considering. 3. Use the Plan Finder at Medicare.gov to compare Milwaukee County options side by side. 4. Call your local SHIP. In Wisconsin, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program offers free, unbiased counseling — no sales pitch. 5. Don't wait until late March. Changes take effect the first of the next month, so an early decision means earlier coverage under the new plan.