Can I Change Medicare Plans After December 7?

If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period lets you make one change between January 1 and March 31. You can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan, or return to Original Medicare and add a standalone Part D drug plan.

The limits matter. This window is only for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan. If you have Original Medicare with a standalone drug plan, you cannot use it to join an Advantage plan, and you cannot use it to swap one drug plan for another.

Special enrollment periods open when specific events happen to you: moving out of your plan's service area, losing employer or union coverage, your plan being discontinued, or qualifying for Medicaid or Extra Help, among others. Each comes with its own deadline, so it pays to act soon after the event.

There is also the 5-star special enrollment period. From December 8 through November 30, you can switch once into a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan that Medicare has rated 5 stars, if one is offered where you live.

Medigap is not tied to December 7 at all. You can apply to buy or change a Medigap plan in any month of the year. The trade-off is that outside your one-time Medigap open enrollment window, insurers can usually require medical underwriting, so acceptance is not guaranteed.

If none of these doors is open to you, your next opportunity is the fall Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 to December 7, 2026, with new coverage taking effect January 1, 2027.