Medicare Advantage

Bloomington's Second Chance to Switch Medicare Advantage

People in Bloomington can choose from 25 Medicare Advantage plans for 2027, against 32 this year. 13 of this year’s plans are gone, 6 are new to Hennepin County, and 9 that continue have changed their premium, deductible, plan type or name, 3 of them under a new name.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — If you signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan during fall enrollment and are now second-guessing your pick, you still have time to fix it. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31, and it gives current Advantage members one clean chance to change course before the plan year settles in.

Here's what Bloomington residents can — and can't — do during this window, and the mistakes that trip people up every year.

What this enrollment period is (and isn't)

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (often shortened to MA-OEP) is not the same as the Annual Enrollment Period that ended December 7. It's narrower, and it's only for people who are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1.

According to CMS, during MA-OEP you can:

• Switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another Medicare Advantage plan.
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare (Parts A and B).
• If you go back to Original Medicare, join a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

You can only make one change during this window, and the change takes effect the first day of the month after your new plan gets your request.

What you cannot do in this window

This is where people get tripped up. MA-OEP is not a free-for-all. If you are on Original Medicare on January 1 — with or without a Part D drug plan — this period does not let you jump into a Medicare Advantage plan. It also does not let you pick up or switch a stand-alone Part D plan unless you are also leaving Medicare Advantage.

If you miss this window and don't qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (for example, after a move or loss of other coverage), your next chance to change most coverage is the Annual Enrollment Period next October 15 – December 7.

Why 2027 makes this window worth using

There are real reasons to take a second look at your coverage rather than just riding it out:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: In 2026, what you pay out of pocket for covered prescription drugs is capped at $2,100 for the year. Once you hit that, you pay $0 for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D deductible: The maximum allowed deductible is $615 in 2026.
• No more donut hole: As of 2025, the old coverage gap is gone. Part D now has three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: You can ask to spread your yearly drug costs into level monthly payments instead of paying big bills at the pharmacy counter. It doesn't lower your total cost, but it can smooth the cash flow.
• IRMAA thresholds: Higher-income enrollees pay extra for Part B and Part D. In 2026, IRMAA surcharges start above $109,000 in income for a single filer (based on your 2024 tax return).

If your plan's network, drug list, or referral rules changed on January 1 and it's not working for you, MA-OEP is your chance to correct that.

Bloomington-area context

Bloomington is in Hennepin County, where Medicare enrollees typically have a wide range of Medicare Advantage plans and stand-alone Part D plans to choose from — more than in many parts of the country. Plan availability is set at the county level, so the exact number of options for a Bloomington resident is the same as for anyone else in Hennepin County.

You can compare the specific plans available at your ZIP code using the Plan Finder at medicare.gov.

Mistakes to avoid

A few patterns come up again and again:

1. Assuming your doctors are still in-network. Provider networks can shift between plan years. Check with the clinic directly, not just the plan directory. 2. Forgetting drug coverage when going back to Original Medicare. If you drop Advantage and don't pick up a Part D plan, you could face a late-enrollment penalty later. 3. Confusing MA-OEP with AEP. If you're on Original Medicare right now, this window doesn't apply to you. 4. Waiting until March 31. Requests submitted late in the month can push your effective date into May. Give yourself room. 5. Relying only on Star Ratings. CMS Star Ratings measure plan quality on a 1-to-5 scale, but they don't tell you whether a specific plan fits your doctors, drugs, and budget.