Medicare Supplement

Casper Medicare Advantage Switch Window Runs Through March 31

CASPER, Wyo. — If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan during fall enrollment and something already feels off — a doctor who isn't in network, a drug that isn't covered the way you expected, a pharmacy that's suddenly out of the way — you still have time to fix it.

Casper enrollees have until March 31 to adjust Medicare Advantage coverage

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31 every year. It's a second chance built into the program, and it closes at the end of March. After that, most people are locked in until fall.

Here's what Casper residents need to know before the window shuts.

What this enrollment period actually lets you do

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (often shortened to MA-OEP) is narrower than the fall Annual Enrollment Period. During these three months, if you are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, you can:

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

You can only make one change during this window. And this period is not for people currently on Original Medicare who want to jump into Medicare Advantage for the first time — that had to happen during the Oct. 15–Dec. 7 window.

Casper plan availability, by the county

Medicare Advantage plan choices are set county by county, not city by city. Casper sits in Natrona County, so when you shop on Medicare's Plan Finder, the plans and drug plans you see are the ones approved for Natrona County residents. Neighbors in nearby counties may see a different lineup — that's normal, and it's how CMS structures the market.

If you split time between Casper and another state, your permanent address determines which plans you're eligible for.

The 2026 numbers worth knowing

A few program-level figures shape decisions this year, no matter which plan you're in:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100. Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered prescriptions hits that amount in 2026, you pay $0 for covered drugs for the rest of the year.
• Part D deductible: up to $615. That's the maximum any Part D plan can charge before drug coverage kicks in. Some plans set it lower.
• The old "donut hole" is gone. Since 2025, Part D has three phases — deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic — instead of four.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This is a free option that lets you spread your yearly drug costs across monthly payments instead of paying a big bill at the pharmacy counter. You can opt in any time through your drug plan.
• IRMAA. Higher-income beneficiaries pay an income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D. For 2026, those surcharges begin above $109,000 in modified adjusted gross income for single filers (based on your 2024 tax return).

Common reasons Casper readers ask about switching

You may want to use this window if:

• Your doctor or specialist left your plan's network on Jan. 1.
• A prescription you take moved to a higher tier or now requires prior authorization.
• Your preferred pharmacy is no longer "preferred" — a change that can quietly raise your drug costs.
• You'd rather have Original Medicare plus a stand-alone drug plan, especially if you travel often.

Star Ratings, updated each fall by Medicare, are one tool you can look at while comparing — they measure things like customer service, member complaints, and how plans handle chronic conditions. They're a data point, not a verdict.

What to do before March 31

1. Log in (or create an account) at Medicare.gov and use the Plan Finder. Enter your ZIP code and your current prescription list — this is where the comparison gets real. 2. Call your doctors' offices directly to confirm which plans they'll accept in 2026. Provider directories can lag. 3. If you want unbiased help, contact Wyoming SHIIP (State Health Insurance Information Program), Wyoming's free counseling service for people with Medicare. Counselors don't sell anything and don't work on commission.