Do you want to disenroll from a Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare? If so, you can do this during the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period (MAD). This period runs every year from January 1 to February 14.
What you will be able to do
If you want to enroll or disenroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can only do so during specific periods in the year.
If you want to go back to Original Medicare and leave a Medicare Advantage plan, you can at the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period. This applies no matter how many years, months, or even days you have been an enrollee in the plan. Use this period to return to Original Medicare, Part A and Part B even if you joined the Medicare Advantage plan recently during the Annual Election Period.
If you requested to disenroll from your Medicare Advantage plan, then your disenrollment will go into effect the next month. For instance, if you disenroll from your plan in November, it won’t be in effect until December 1.
You may have to use network providers in order for some types of Medicare Advantage plans to cover you. You want to remain using doctors in your plan’s provider network until you are officially disenrolled. This is especially the case if you’re in a Special Needs Plan or a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plan. Otherwise, your plan may not cover the services you got. So be aware of the date that your Medicare Advantage disenrollment becomes effective.
You can enroll in a stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan if you disenroll in your Medicare Advantage Plan during the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period. You can enroll even if you dropped a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage. Here is what you can do if you’re currently in a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan:
- Either join a stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan (which will drop you automatically from Medicare Advantage).
- Submit a disenrollment request to your plan.
Coverage will begin the first day of the next month once you buy a Medicare prescription drug plan.
Be aware that prescription drug benefits are not included with Original medicare. Also, if you go 63 straight days or more without creditable prescription drug coverage then you will pay a Medicare Part D penalty. Make sure your prescription drug coverage is credible if it’s not Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. This means that at minimum, it has the same benefits as basic Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage.
What you can’t do
You will not be able to join or switch plans using the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period. You can only disenroll from Medicare Advantage to return to Original Medicare.
The Annual Election Period (AEP) is different from the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period. The AEP is the Fall Open Enrollment Period for Medicare prescription drug and Medicare Advantage plans. Here’s what you can do during the Annual Election Period:
- Make changes to your prescription drug coverage plan
- Switch plans
- Sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time.
- Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare.
The Initial Coverage Election Period is a time frame when you’re first eligible to sign up to a Medicare Advantage plan. This period is also different from the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period.
The only time you can make changes to your Medicare Advantage plan outside of these periods is if you qualify for a Special Election Period. During this period you will be able to disenroll from your Medicare Advantage plan. As well as change plans in certain situations, which includes but is not limited to:
- If your plan used misleading marketing practices.
- If you change locations out of your plan’s service area.