Answer: Let me first explain that there are some people who do have year-round enrollment privileges. Those with PACE, PACENET, who get “Extra Help,” or are on Medical Assistance can change at virtually any time of the year. 

Additional, little known Election Period

In addition, there is another window to make changes that not many people are aware of. The Open Enrollment Period (OEP) runs from January 1^st through March 31^st of each year. OEP is designed for someone to make a correction if they feel a mistake was made during AEP. During this time, you can move from one Advantage Plan to another or move from an Advantage Plan to a Supplement (medial underwriting necessary). 

Why Election Periods?

The reason there are election periods for those on Medicare is to protect the Supplement and Advantage plan companies from losses that would occur with people perpetually moving back and forth as their immediate needs change.

Here’s an example of what would likely happen if people could switch plans all year round and as many times as they want. John chose one HMO Advantage Plan for 2026 because it had the lowest premium. In April, he finds out he needs three crowns. The plan he’s on only covers those at 50% with an annual maximum benefit of $1,250. John then switches to another HMO that covers 100% of the cost of crowns up to $3,000. Once he’s had all that work completed, he then moves back to the less expensive plan. 

I guarantee millions of people would learn to game the system and make changes like this constantly. Not only would it cause losses for insurance companies, but Medicare would have to hire more people and would struggle to keep up with so many applications. And ultimately, premiums and co-pays would increase, extras like dental and OTC allowances would be drastically reduced or eliminated, and everyone would ultimately be hurt. 

Important role of medical underwriting for Supplements

Along these same lines is why moving from an Advantage Plan to a Supplement requires medical underwriting which allows Supplement companies to discriminate on who they accept in their plans, with the exception of when one initially enrolls in Part B, based on an applicant’s prior and current health conditions. When Supplement companies are forced to accept everyone regardless of their health issues, what many people do is just stay enrolled in less expensive Advantage Plans until they get sick, and only then change to a Supplement to avoid much higher out of pocket expenses for medical care with Advantage Plans. There are eight states that don’t allow underwriting, and premiums are much more expensive in those because what I just described often happens. For example, in Erie, Pennsylvania, a Plan N Supplement for a 65-year-old married female costs just $72/month. Only 23 miles away in Ripley, New York, where Supplement companies must accept everyone regardless of their current or previous health issues, the same Plan N for a 65-year-old female is $300/month! 

Comparing Medicare to auto or homeowner insurance

As far as comparing Medicare Advantage or Supplements to auto or homeowners, it’s apples to oranges. We might not ever make a claim on those policies, and we certainly don’t plan or set an appointment to have a car accident, our home catch fire or be flooded. We can’t change our auto or homeowner insurance policies after we’ve had an accident or a fire to a company with a lower deductible and expect them to pay that claim. The example I gave of John being able to move plans after he found out he needed $3,000 worth of dental work would be a similar scenario.  If you have any Medicare related questions or want to set up an appointment for a no cost consultation during AEP or are going to be new to Medicare, give our office a call, 724-603-3403, or email me personally, Aaron@GetYourBestPlan.com.