# Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: Jan-Mar Guide > Missed the fall deadline? If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, the Jan 1 through Mar 31 window gives you one more chance to switch or leave. Canonical: https://christianbrinkleync.com/guides/medicare-advantage-open-enrollment-period ## Quick answer The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31 each year. It is only for people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. During it you can switch to a different Advantage plan or drop your plan and return to Original Medicare. You get one change, and it takes effect the first of the month after you enroll. ## What this window actually is Every year, January 1 through March 31, Medicare gives Advantage members a second chance to fix their coverage. Call it the do-over window. You already picked a plan in the fall. If it turns out to be the wrong one, this is your one clean shot to change it without waiting until next fall. ## Who can use it Only people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan when the window opens. That is the whole eligibility test. If you have Original Medicare plus a stand-alone drug plan, this window is not for you. If you are on Original Medicare and want to join an Advantage plan for the first time, you cannot do it here either. You would wait for the fall Annual Enrollment or qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. ## The changes you are allowed to make You have two choices. Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan, with or without drug coverage. Or drop your Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare. If you go back to Original Medicare, you can also pick up a stand-alone Part D drug plan so your prescriptions stay covered. That is it. That is the full menu. ## What you cannot do You cannot join a Medicare Advantage plan from Original Medicare during this window. You cannot change your stand-alone Part D drug plan while keeping Original Medicare. And you cannot make more than one change. The window gives you a single move. Make it count, because once you use it, it is gone until next year. ## How it differs from fall Annual Enrollment Annual Enrollment, October 15 through December 7, is for everyone. You can join, switch, or drop Advantage and drug plans freely, change your mind as many times as you want, and everything takes effect January 1. The January window is smaller. It is only for Advantage members, it allows just one change, and your new coverage starts the first of the month after the plan gets your request. Enroll in February and your new plan starts March 1. ## The Greensboro check before you move January is a good time to ask what is actually going wrong with your current plan. Did your doctor leave the network? Did a prescription get more expensive? Did the plan change something in its January letter? Triad residents can sit down with Christian and compare what is available at their address, no cost and no obligation. Free help also exists through North Carolina's SHIIP counseling program and at 1-800-MEDICARE. One warning worth knowing: if you leave Advantage for Original Medicare, a Medigap plan is not guaranteed outside your first enrollment. In most cases the insurer can ask health questions and charge you more. Check that before you switch. ## Fall Annual Enrollment vs. the January Advantage window | Topic | How they differ | | --- | --- | | Dates | Annual Enrollment: Oct 15 to Dec 7 | Advantage Open Enrollment: Jan 1 to Mar 31 | | Who can use it | Annual Enrollment: Everyone on Medicare | Advantage Open Enrollment: Only current Advantage members | | Number of changes | Annual Enrollment: As many as you want | Advantage Open Enrollment: One | | Joining Advantage from Original Medicare | Annual Enrollment: Yes | Advantage Open Enrollment: No | | When changes take effect | Annual Enrollment: January 1 | Advantage Open Enrollment: First of the month after enrollment | ## Checklist - [ ] Confirm you are currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. - [ ] List what is wrong with the current plan: doctors, drugs, costs. - [ ] Compare other Advantage plans at your home address. - [ ] Remember you only get one change, so decide before you act. - [ ] If going back to Original Medicare, line up a Part D drug plan. - [ ] Ask about Medigap underwriting before leaving your Advantage plan. ## Frequently asked questions ### I have Original Medicare. Can I use this window to join an Advantage plan? No. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is only for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan. If you have Original Medicare, you cannot use it to join an Advantage plan. ### How many times can I change plans between January and March? Once. You get a single enrollment change during the window. After you make it, you are done until the next opportunity. ### When does my new plan start? The first day of the month after the plan receives your enrollment request. If you enroll in February, coverage starts March 1. ### If I drop my Advantage plan, can I buy a Medigap plan? Maybe, but it is not guaranteed. Outside your first Medigap enrollment period, insurers in most states can use health questions and charge higher premiums. Check your Medigap options before you give up your Advantage plan. ### What happens to my drug coverage if I leave my Advantage plan? If your Advantage plan included drug coverage and you return to Original Medicare, you lose that drug coverage. You can join a stand-alone Part D plan during this same window. Do it promptly so you do not go without coverage. ## Sources - [Medicare: Special Enrollment Periods](https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/joining-a-plan/special-enrollment-periods) - [Medicare: Your coverage options](https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/your-coverage-options) - [Medicare: Find health and drug plans](https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare) ## Related - [Medicare Annual Enrollment](https://christianbrinkleync.com/annual-enrollment) - [When your Medicare plan is not renewing](https://christianbrinkleync.com/guides/medicare-plan-not-renewing-triad) - [Medicare help in the Triad](https://christianbrinkleync.com/medicare) --- Educational content only, not financial or tax advice. Published by Christian Brinkley, christianbrinkleync.com.