Medicare Supplement

Medicare Advantage Switch Window Opens Jan. 1 in OKC

OKLAHOMA CITY — From January 1 through March 31, people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan get a second look at their coverage. It's called the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA-OEP), and it's the only broad chance most beneficiaries have to change course after the fall Annual Enrollment Period closed on December 7.

Oklahoma City Retirees Have Until March 31 to Rethink Their Medicare Advantage Plan

If your new plan started January 1 and something already feels off — a doctor no longer in network, a prescription that costs more than you expected, a benefit that didn't match what you thought — this is your window to fix it.

What You Can (and Can't) Do Between January 1 and March 31

The MA-OEP is narrower than the fall enrollment period. 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 return to Original Medicare (Parts A and B).
• If you go back to Original Medicare, you can also join a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

You can't:

• Switch from Original Medicare into a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time.
• Join or switch a stand-alone Part D plan if you're staying on Medicare Advantage.
• Make more than one change during this window. You get one move, and it takes effect the first of the following month.

If you're on Original Medicare and happy there, this window doesn't really apply to you.

Why This Year's Window Matters More Than Usual

2026 brings meaningful changes to Part D drug coverage that could affect how a plan actually works for you once you start filling prescriptions:

• The annual out-of-pocket cap for Part D drugs is $2,100 in 2026. Once you hit that, you pay nothing more for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The maximum Part D deductible is $615.
• The coverage gap (the old "donut hole") is gone — Part D now has three phases instead of four, a change that took effect in 2025.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly amounts instead of paying big sums at the pharmacy counter. It's optional and free to opt in.

If January's pharmacy bill was a surprise, those tools — plus the MA-OEP — give you room to adjust.

Plan Availability Is a County Question, Not a City One

Oklahoma City sits mostly in Oklahoma County, though parts of the metro reach into Cleveland, Canadian, and Pottawatomie counties. Medicare plan availability is set by CMS at the county level, so the plans on your Medicare.gov Plan Finder results depend on which county your home address falls in — not just the city name.

That matters if you've moved recently, if a family member is helping from out of state, or if you split time between addresses. Always check availability using the ZIP code where you actually live.

Oklahoma County typically sees a wide range of Medicare Advantage and Part D options each year. To see the current count and which carriers file plans in your county, use the Plan Finder at Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

A Note on IRMAA for Higher-Income Households

If your income is above $109,000 as a single filer (or $218,000 filing jointly) based on your 2024 tax return, you'll pay an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) on top of your standard Part B and Part D premiums in 2026. IRMAA isn't a penalty — it's an income-based surcharge. Social Security notifies you by mail, and you can appeal if a life event (retirement, divorce, loss of a spouse) has dropped your income since that tax year.

How to Make a Careful Switch

Before you change plans, spend 20 minutes doing three things:

1. List your prescriptions, including doses. Then check each one on the plan's formulary. 2. List your doctors and preferred hospitals. Confirm each is in-network for the new plan — not just the old one. 3. Look past the premium. Deductibles, coinsurance, prior authorization rules, and referral requirements often matter more than the monthly cost.

You can compare plans yourself at Medicare.gov, call 1-800-MEDICARE 24/7, or get free, unbiased help from Oklahoma's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which counsels Medicare beneficiaries at no cost.