Medicare Advantage Special Enrollment Period
If you received a letter from your Medicare Advantage (MA) plan stating that it will no longer sell its plan in your area, you have a special enrollment from Dec. 8 to Feb. 28. You have the option to:
- Enroll in another MA plan.
- Return to Original Medicare and buy a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan and maybe enroll in a Medigap plan (PDF 13.27MB).
- Enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan (PDF 249.42KB).
The new plan starts depending on when you enroll. To ensure coverage starts Jan. 1, you should enroll before Dec. 31. If you do nothing before Feb. 28, 2025, you’ll automatically be covered by Original Medicare Parts A and B only. But you must act if you want to continue to have prescription drug coverage, either by enrolling in an MA plan that includes drug coverage or by enrolling in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period
Jan. 1 – March 31 is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA-OEP). You must be enrolled in an MA plan on Jan. 1 to make a switch. Any changes you make take effect on the first day of the month after your request.
During MA-OEP, you have these options:
1: Choose a different Medicare Advantage plan
You can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan with or without drug coverage, but your options will depend on where you live. People who are low-income, live in an institution, or have certain chronic conditions have additional options.
See your options and compare plans using Medicare's online Plan Finder.
We also suggest making an online Medicare account.
2: Leave your MA plan to return to Original Medicare
When you switch to Original Medicare (Parts A and B), you might be able to select a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plan that will help pay for out-of-pocket costs that Original Medicare doesn't cover. For more information, check out our What you need to know about Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plans (PDF 13.27MB) publication.
If you leave an MA plan and return to Original Medicare, be sure to sign up for a stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. You'll want to:
- Buy a Medicare prescription (Part D) plan (PDF 249.42KB).
- Compare Medicare Part D prescription drug plans with Medicare’s online Plan Finder.
Also, Medicare has programs that help people save money on Parts A, B, and D.
Find out if you qualify for the Medicare Savings Program or Extra Help.
How to get help
- Review your Medicare and You handbook (PDF, 3.7 MB) and visit Medicare.gov to create an account, or use the Plan Finder to see your options.
- Contact SHIBA.
- Contact Medicare. You can talk or live chat with a real person, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (except some federal holidays).
- Find a local presentation or counseling session with our SHIBA program in your area.