Medicare Advantage

New Orleans Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: What You Can Change by March 31

Orleans Parish has 67 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027. Compared with 2026, 10 plans are not coming back, 12 are new, and 28 continuing plans changed in some way you should check before December 7, 11 of them under a new name. This guide covers what those numbers mean for New Orleans, not which plan to pick.

NEW ORLEANS — If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan for 2027 and already wish you had chosen differently, you have a limited window to fix it. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31, and it gives people already enrolled in an Advantage plan one chance to make a change before the year locks in.

This period is narrower than the fall Annual Enrollment Period, and the rules about what you can — and cannot — do are specific. Here is what New Orleans residents should know before the March 31 deadline.

Who can use this enrollment period

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (often shortened to MA OEP) is only for people who are already in a Medicare Advantage plan as of January 1. If that describes you, you get one opportunity between January 1 and March 31 to make a switch.

If you are on Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) and did not join an Advantage plan during the fall, this window is not for you. You would generally need to wait for the next Annual Enrollment Period in October, unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

What you can change between January 1 and March 31

During the MA OEP, you can:

• Switch from your current Medicare Advantage plan to a different Medicare Advantage plan.
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare. If you do this, you can also join a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

What you cannot do during this period:

• Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan.
• Join a stand-alone Part D plan if you are staying on Original Medicare and did not just leave an Advantage plan.
• Make more than one change. The first change you submit is the one that sticks.

Any change you make takes effect the first day of the month after the plan receives your enrollment request.

Why some people take a second look in January

The start of a new plan year is often when people notice things they missed during the fall. A regular doctor may no longer be in the network. A prescription may have moved to a different cost tier. A specialist referral rule may feel more restrictive than expected.

The MA OEP exists so beneficiaries are not stuck for a full year with a plan that does not fit. It is worth checking your new plan's provider directory and drug list (formulary) in January, before problems pile up.

Local context for New Orleans

New Orleans sits in Orleans Parish, and Medicare Advantage plan availability is set at the parish (county) level. That means the menu of plans you can choose from during the MA OEP is the same for anyone with a Medicare-eligible address in Orleans Parish. If you moved recently — even within the metro area — your available plans may be different from a neighbor's, because parish lines matter for plan service areas.

Moving to a new address outside your plan's service area can also open a Special Enrollment Period, which is separate from the MA OEP and has its own rules.

A few program facts worth knowing for 2027

Whatever you decide, some Medicare rules apply across all plans:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 for 2026 and $2,400 for 2027. Once your covered drug spending reaches that amount, you pay nothing more for covered Part D drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D maximum deductible is $615 for 2026 and $700 for 2027.
• The old coverage gap, or "donut hole," was eliminated in 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly amounts instead of paying at the pharmacy counter. Enrollment is optional and free.
• IRMAA surcharges — extra amounts higher-income beneficiaries pay for Part B and Part D — begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Where to get personalized help

Because the right choice depends on your doctors, your prescriptions, and your budget, personalized help matters. Free, unbiased options include:

• Medicare.gov, where you can compare plans available in Orleans Parish using the Plan Finder tool.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Louisiana SHIIP (the state's State Health Insurance Assistance Program), which offers free one-on-one Medicare counseling to Louisiana residents.