How to Change Medicare Plans, and 5 Reasons You Should Consider Switching
Key takeaways:
Medicare’s open enrollment period is October 15 to December 7. This is when you can switch from original Medicare to Medicare Advantage or vice versa. You can also change your Medicare Advantage plan or Part D prescription medication coverage.
Medicare Advantage has an additional open enrollment period every year to make changes. This is from January 1 to March 31.
You may want to change Medicare plans if you have new health needs, your plan’s benefits change, or your coverage is no longer the most affordable option.
You must make changes within the open enrollment periods unless you qualify for a special enrollment period.
Being enrolled in the right Medicare plan could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars. So it makes sense to evaluate your coverage every year. This is important regardless of whether you’re enrolled in original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan. Whether you have a stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription plan or coverage included in your Medicare Advantage plan, you should check to make sure the medications you take are still covered.
Depending on your Medicare plan, you have one or two open enrollment periods each year. These are the only times you can change your coverage unless you qualify for a special enrollment period (SEP).
How do I change my Medicare plan?
How you make changes to your Medicare coverage depends on whether you have original Medicare (Part A and/or Part B) or Medicare Advantage.
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If you have original Medicare and want to switch to Medicare Advantage:
Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to disenroll in original Medicare.
Then contact the Medicare Advantage plan you want to join, and enroll.
If you have Medicare Advantage plan and want to switch to a new plan or to original Medicare:
Contact the new Medicare Advantage plan you want to join. Be sure to enroll in your new plan before you exit the old one.
Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), and ask them to help you disenroll from your Medicare Advantage plan and join original Medicare. Or call your plan to cancel your enrollment.
When can I change my Medicare plan?
Medicare’s open enrollment period is from October 15 to December 7 for the coming year. If you want your new benefits to begin on January 1, you must make changes during this period.
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you have a second chance to make changes during the Medicare Advantage open enrollment period. This is from January 1 to March 31 every year. You cannot change your original Medicare coverage during this time.
Can you change Medicare plans after open enrollment?
To make changes to your Medicare coverage outside the open enrollment periods, you must qualify for an SEP. There are many reasons you might qualify for an SEP, including but not limited to:
You move to an address not in your Medicare Advantage plan’s service area. Or your new area has more Medicare Advantage plan options than your previous address.
You lose your current coverage.
Your plan changes its contract with Medicare.
Medicare Part D Prescription Payment Plan: Starting in 2025, anyone with a Medicare prescription plan has the option to make payments for out-of-pocket medication costs instead of paying up front at the pharmacy. This applies to your deductible too.
Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage: Medicare Advantage plans must meet original Medicare’s coverage, and they typically offer vision, hearing, and dental benefits. But you can have Medigap supplemental insurance, and ensure access to care nationwide, only with original Medicare (Parts A and B).
Medicare Advantage can have drawbacks: Medicare Advantage plans typically include prescription coverage and additional benefits. But you’ll have a narrower network of physicians and encounter prior authorizations and denials more often than with original Medicare.
Quiz: Should you get a Medicare supplement insurance plan?
5 reasons you may want to change your Medicare plan
Here are the five most common reasons you might consider switching Medicare plans during open enrollment.
1. You have new health needs
Original Medicare doesn’t cover routine dental, hearing, or vision care. Some Medicare Advantage plans don’t offer these benefits either. But if you need dental, hearing, or vision coverage, you could find a Medicare Advantage plan that includes these benefits. (But make sure the coverage isn’t limited.)
Some Medicare Advantage plans include nonmedical benefits. Examples include coverage for caregiver support, transportation, and adult day care. But be sure to ask what specific services are covered to find out if one of these plans might work for you. Also, even with the extra coverage, Medicare Advantage plans may have disadvantages.
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2. You don’t need a particular benefit anymore
You may be able to find a less costly plan if you no longer need certain benefits. But make sure you consider all aspects of switching plans, including coverage for your healthcare professionals and medications.
3. Your prescription medications have changed
If you’re taking new prescription medications, you’ll want to make sure your current coverage is the best option. For example, if you start taking a medication that is not covered in your current plan’s formulary, you’ll want to find a new plan that covers all of your prescriptions. Medication coverage and costs often change from year to year, even under the same plan. So it’s smart to make sure your current plan is the most affordable option and has the coverage you need.
4. Your plan is no longer the most affordable option for you
If you’re considering switching plans for affordability, you’ll want to think about how and when you want to save. For instance, if your premium has gone up or you can get similar coverage for a lower premium — and you expect to have health needs that are about the same in the coming year — you may choose to switch. Some people want cost sharing with their plan to begin as soon as possible and are willing to pay more every month in premiums. In that case, many plans offer a low or $0 deductible in exchange for a higher premium.
5. Your plan has changed or removed some of its benefits
Your plan may no longer include a certain benefit that it had when you first enrolled. If you have a Part D or Medicare Advantage plan, your insurer must send you an annual notice of change in the fall before Medicare open enrollment. Make sure to review this document when you receive it. This will ensure that your plan still meets your needs in the coming year.
You may find that your Medicare plan isn’t making many changes to costs and coverage, and that it still meets your needs. If you don’t do anything during open enrollment, your coverage will roll over into the new plan year.
If you need help weighing your Medicare options, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provides free, unbiased, local counseling to Medicare-eligible people and their caregivers. You can also visit medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to find answers to your questions.
Frequently asked questions
Not usually. If you have original Medicare or Medicare Advantage, your annual open enrollment period for making changes is October 15 to December 7. People with Medicare Advantage have another opportunity each year from January 1 to March 31. You can’t make changes at other times of the year unless you qualify for an SEP. You are eligible for an SEP if you have certain life changes, such as moving to a new address. You can also change anytime of the year if you want to switch to a Medicare Advantage or prescription plan with a five-star quality rating.
Maybe. A change from original Medicare to Medicare Advantage or vice versa will typically require you to talk to someone by phone. Also, given the upheaval in federal government offices in 2025, a phone call may be the safest option, quickest way, or only avenue to make changes to your Medicare plan — while ensuring that your updates are correct.
Yes. You can switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to original Medicare during open enrollment in the fall or during the Medicare Advantage open enrollment period in the first 3 months of the year. If you want to add a Medigap plan to your new original Medicare coverage, you may be required to go through medical underwriting because you are likely past your one-time, 6-month Medigap open enrollment period. This health test could result in a coverage denial or, if you are approved, you could be charged more for the supplemental insurance.
The bottom line
Medicare’s annual open enrollment period from October 15 to December 7 is your chance to make changes to your health and prescription medication plans for the coming year. During this period, it may make sense for you to switch to a plan that costs less and/or offers better benefits.
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you have another annual open enrollment period, from January 1 to March 31. As you consider changing Medicare plans, don’t be afraid to ask for help from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) or a Medicare representative.
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References
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Get Medigap basics. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Joining a plan. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Special enrollment periods. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
National Council on Aging. (n.d.). What are the Medicare star ratings?
