Medicare Advantage open enrollment period (MAOEP)

During the Medicare Advantage open enrollment period (MAOEP) – which runs from January 1 to March 31 – Medicare Advantage enrollees can switch to Original Medicare or to a different Medicare Advantage plan. The ability to switch plans during the MAOEP is limited to one plan change per year.

When Medicare Advantage enrollees switch to Original Medicare during the MAOEP, they’re also eligible to purchase a Part D Prescription Drug Plan. But a person who has Part D coverage with Original Medicare cannot switch to a different Part D plan during the Medicare Advantage open enrollment period, since this window only applies to Medicare Advantage enrollees.

A person switching from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare during the MAOEP will not necessarily have guaranteed-issue access to a Medigap plan to supplement the Original Medicare coverage. It will depend on how long the person had Medicare Advantage, what state they’re in, and whether they qualify for any of the federal guaranteed-issue rights for Medigap plans.