Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: What Grand Rapids Can Change by March 31

For 2027, Grand Rapids is looking at 89 Medicare Advantage plans: 20 new, 11 gone since 2026, and 43 still here but changed on premium, deductible, plan type or name, 10 of them under a new name. Below, how the lineup shifted in Kent County and what to compare, with no plan ranked or recommended.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan last fall and it isn't fitting the way you hoped, you have a second chance this winter. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31, and it gives people already on an Advantage plan one shot to make a change before spring.

This window is smaller and more limited than the fall Annual Enrollment Period, but for Kent County residents who realized in January that their doctor is out of network, or that their prescriptions aren't covered the way they expected, it can be a real relief.

Who this enrollment window is for

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (often shortened to MA-OEP) is only for people who were already in a Medicare Advantage plan as of January 1. If you're on Original Medicare — Parts A and B, maybe with a Medigap policy and a stand-alone Part D drug plan — this window does not apply to you.

It's designed as a do-over, not a first-time enrollment period.

What you can change between Jan. 1 and March 31

During this window, you have two options:

• Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan. That could be another plan with drug coverage or one without. Most people stick with plans that include Part D so their prescriptions stay covered.
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare. If you do this, you can also join a stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.

You get one change during this period. Whatever you pick becomes your coverage on the first day of the following month. So a switch made in February takes effect March 1.

What you cannot do in this window

This is where people in Grand Rapids sometimes get tripped up. During the MA-OEP, you cannot:

• Join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time if you're on Original Medicare.
• Switch from one stand-alone Part D drug plan to another if you're on Original Medicare.
• Enroll in a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy with guaranteed acceptance just because it's this window — Medigap has its own rules, and outside your initial enrollment, insurers in Michigan can generally use medical underwriting.

If you missed the fall Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) and you're on Original Medicare, you'll usually need to wait until next fall unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

Grand Rapids plan availability, for context

Grand Rapids is in Kent County, where residents have a broad selection of Medicare Advantage plans from multiple carriers to compare. Kent County is one of the more competitive Medicare markets in West Michigan, so if your current plan isn't working, there are typically other options to weigh. You can see the full list — and check whether your doctors and drugs are covered — using the Plan Finder tool at medicare.gov.

A few 2027 numbers worth knowing

Even if you're only tweaking your Advantage plan, the underlying Medicare rules for 2027 are worth keeping in mind:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026. Once your covered drug spending hits that limit, you pay $0 for covered prescriptions the rest of the year.
• The Part D deductible can be no higher than $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027).
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated in 2025. Part D now has three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs into monthly payments across the year instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter. You can opt in any time.
• IRMAA — the income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D — begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

None of these change during the MA-OEP, but they can affect whether the plan you're in still makes sense.

How to make a change

To switch plans or return to Original Medicare, you can:

• Use the Plan Finder at medicare.gov.
• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), open 24/7.
• Contact MMAP, Michigan's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). MMAP counselors give free, unbiased, one-on-one help to people on Medicare in Grand Rapids and across Kent County. Reach them at 1-800-803-7174.

You don't need to cancel your old plan separately — enrolling in a new Advantage plan or a stand-alone Part D plan usually does that automatically.