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Can I Switch Medicare Advantage Plans? How the Switch Actually Works

Reviewed by Russell Noga, Licensed Medicare Insurance Broker (all 50 states) — Last updated November 6, 2026

Yes, you can switch Medicare Advantage plans by enrolling in the new plan during an allowed window; Medicare then ends your old plan automatically, so there is nothing to cancel. The allowed windows are October 15 to December 7, 2026 for a January 1, 2027 start, January 1 to March 31, 2027 for one change, and Special Enrollment Periods after qualifying events.

Most people asking this question already know a switch is possible. What trips them up is the mechanics: whether to call the old plan first, what happens to prescriptions in the middle of a refill, whether a referral or approved surgery carries over, and what it costs to leave Medicare Advantage entirely.

This page walks through the switch itself, step by step, including the less obvious move of going back to Original Medicare. For the question of which dates and life events open a window in 2027, see when you can switch Medicare Advantage plans for 2027.

✔ Licensed in all 50 states
✔ Based on CMS 2027 data
✔ Free plan comparison

Key Highlights

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Enrolling in the new plan is the switch; the old plan ends on its own the day the new one starts.

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Picking a plan without drug coverage, or adding a standalone drug plan, can change more than you intended.

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Leaving Medicare Advantage for Original Medicare is easy; getting a Medigap policy afterward may not be.

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First-time members have a 12-month trial right that protects a return to Original Medicare.

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What Happens Behind the Scenes When You Switch

1

You apply to the new plan Through the plan, Medicare’s Plan Finder, or a licensed agent, during a window you qualify for.

2

Medicare processes the enrollment The new plan sends a confirmation and, later, a member ID card and welcome materials.

3

The old plan is closed for you Medicare disenrolls you from the prior Medicare Advantage plan effective the day before the new plan begins.

4

Coverage hands off The old plan pays for care through its last day; the new plan pays from its first day, typically the first of a month.

Avoid canceling first: Asking the old plan to disenroll you before the new enrollment is processed can drop you into Original Medicare without drug coverage for a period. Letting the new enrollment do the work keeps coverage continuous.

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Drug Coverage: The Part of a Switch That Surprises People

What you enroll in Effect on your Medicare Advantage plan Effect on drug coverage
Another Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage Old plan ends automatically New plan’s formulary and pharmacies apply
A Medicare Advantage plan without drug coverage Old plan ends automatically No Part D unless another source applies; late penalty risk
A standalone Part D drug plan Medicare Advantage ends; you return to Original Medicare Standalone plan covers drugs
A Medigap policy alone No effect; Medigap cannot pay claims while you are in Medicare Advantage None

Private fee-for-service and Medical Savings Account plans follow different drug plan rules.

A gap in creditable drug coverage of 63 days or more can lead to a permanent Part D late enrollment penalty. The page on the Part D late enrollment penalty explains how it is calculated.

Prescription checks before you submit

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Look up each drug on the new plan’s 2027 formulary and note its tier.

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Check for prior authorization, step therapy or quantity limits on those drugs.

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Confirm your pharmacy is preferred, not just in network.

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Ask whether a transition supply applies for a drug the new plan does not normally cover.

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Doctors, Referrals and Treatment Already Underway

Each Medicare Advantage plan has its own network and its own approval rules. Approvals from the old plan do not automatically transfer, so a scheduled surgery or a series of physical therapy visits needs a fresh look under the new plan.

A rule that helps: Under a CMS rule in effect since 2024, a Medicare Advantage plan must give a new enrollee who is in an active course of treatment a transition period of at least 90 days before requiring new prior authorization for that treatment. Coverage still follows the new plan’s rules for medically necessary care, so confirming the details with that plan before the switch is worthwhile.

Provider questions to settle in writing

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Is each doctor and specialist in the new plan’s network for 2027?

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Does an HMO plan require a primary care referral for your specialists?

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Is the hospital you use in network, and for which services?

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Do any of your regular services need prior authorization under the new plan?

Health conditions do not stop a switch between Medicare Advantage plans, as explained on switching Medicare Advantage plans with pre-existing conditions.

Our Analysis of CMS 2027 Plan Data: The Pool You Switch Into

Measure from the 2027 files Count Why it matters for a switch
Individual plans open to anyone with Parts A and B (not special needs plans) 3,516 These are the plans most switchers can choose from
Special needs plans 1,965 Limited to people with Medicaid, certain chronic conditions or institutional care
Counties with at least one non-special-needs PPO 2,921 of 3,131 A PPO is available in most counties for people who want out-of-network coverage
Median non-special-needs plans per county 22 A typical county offers about two dozen general-enrollment plans

Our analysis of CMS 2027 plan data, individual plans only. Benefits vary by plan and county, and not all plans offer all benefits.

Switching Back to Original Medicare

What you gain

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Any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that accepts Medicare

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No network or plan referral rules

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Freedom to pair with a standalone Part D plan

What you may give up

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A yearly out-of-pocket maximum, unless you add a Medigap policy

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Extras a plan may include, such as some dental or vision benefits

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Plan premiums of $0 in many areas

Medigap underwriting risk: Outside protected situations, Medigap insurers in most states can ask health questions, charge more or decline an application from someone leaving Medicare Advantage. Applying for the Medigap policy and getting approved before leaving the plan avoids being left with Original Medicare’s open-ended 20% coinsurance. The guide on changing from Medicare Advantage to Medigap covers the order of steps.

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The 12-Month Trial Right for First-Time Members

Joined at 65

Joined Medicare Advantage when first eligible at 65: leave within 12 months and buy any Medigap plan sold in your state with guaranteed issue

Dropped Medigap

Left a Medigap policy to try Medicare Advantage for the first time: leave within 12 months and get the old policy back if still sold, or another one

63 days

Usual time limit to apply for Medigap with guaranteed issue after the plan coverage ends

The trial right is one of the few times Medigap must be offered without health questions. The general rules for those protected windows are summarized on the guaranteed issue Medicare Supplement page.

A Pre-Switch Checklist

1

Read the Annual Notice of Change It lists what your current plan changes on January 1, 2027, so you know what you are leaving.

2

Price a full year, not just the premium Add the premium, deductibles, copays for your usual visits and the plan’s out-of-pocket maximum.

3

Verify networks and drugs Use the plan’s own 2027 provider directory and formulary, not last year’s.

4

Note the start date Write down the date the new plan begins and keep using the old plan’s card until then.

5

Keep the confirmation Save the enrollment confirmation number until the new ID card arrives.

Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

Switching Medicare Advantage plans takes one action, enrolling in the new plan during a window you qualify for, and Medicare handles the rest. The real work is checking drugs, doctors and treatments already in progress, and, before leaving Medicare Advantage altogether, knowing whether a Medigap policy will accept you.

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Frequently Asked Questions

➤ Do I need to call my current plan to cancel before switching?

No. Enrolling in a new Medicare Advantage plan during a valid window ends the old one automatically, effective when the new plan starts.

➤ What happens if I join a standalone drug plan while in Medicare Advantage?

In most cases Medicare disenrolls you from the Medicare Advantage plan and returns you to Original Medicare, with the standalone plan covering prescriptions.

➤ Will my prior authorization carry over to the new plan?

Not automatically. A CMS rule requires at least a 90-day transition period for an active course of treatment, but the new plan’s own approval rules apply after that.

➤ Can I switch from an HMO to a PPO?

Yes. Moving between plan types is a normal switch during the fall window, the January to March window or a Special Enrollment Period, as long as the PPO serves your county.

➤ Is there a fee to switch Medicare Advantage plans?

Medicare does not charge for switching. Your costs change only because the new plan’s premium, deductibles and copays differ from the old plan’s.

➤ Can a plan refuse me because of my health?

Medicare Advantage plans generally cannot turn you down for health conditions when you apply during a valid window. Special needs plans do require a qualifying condition, Medicaid or institutional status.

➤ Does switching back to Original Medicare give me a Medigap right?

Only in certain situations, such as the 12-month trial right or a plan leaving your area. Otherwise most states let Medigap insurers use health questions.

➤ What if I switch and do not like the new plan?

If the switch happened during the fall window, you can make one more change between January 1 and March 31, 2027, either to another Medicare Advantage plan or to Original Medicare.

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Find & Compare Plans Online

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This website and MedicarePlansGuide.org are privately owned and operated and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Federal Medicare program or any other government agency. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent multiple organizations which offer Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement Insurance plans, and Medicare Prescription Drug plans. Not all plans offer all benefits mentioned. Benefits, premiums, deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, exclusions, and limitations may vary by plan, carrier, and location and may change over time.

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