You can cancel a Medicare Advantage plan, but not on any random Tuesday. Medicare only lets you drop or switch plans during set windows: the Annual Enrollment Period from October 15 through December 7, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 through March 31, or a Special Enrollment Period triggered by a qualifying life event. When you cancel matters as much as whether you can, because it affects when new coverage starts, whether you can buy a Medigap policy, and whether you’ll owe a lifetime Part D penalty.
When You Can Cancel
Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7)
This is the widest window. You can drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare, switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan, or add or drop prescription drug coverage. Any change takes effect January 1.1Medicare. Open Enrollment
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31)
If you’re already in a Medicare Advantage plan on January 1, you get a second chance in the first quarter of the year. You can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan or drop it entirely for Original Medicare, and if you go back to Original Medicare you can sign up for a standalone Part D plan at the same time.2Medicare. Joining a Medicare Health or Drug Plan You only get one change during this period, so pick carefully. New coverage starts the first day of the month after your plan receives the request.3Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CY 2026 Medicare Advantage and Part D Enrollment and Disenrollment Guidance People who don’t already have a Medicare Advantage plan can’t use this window to join one.
Special Enrollment Periods
Certain life events open a window outside the usual dates. Common ones include moving out of your plan’s service area, losing employer coverage, qualifying for Extra Help with drug costs, or your plan leaving Medicare. The length of the window depends on the event. If your plan’s Medicare contract isn’t renewed, for example, you can make changes between December 8 and the end of the following February.4Medicare.gov. Special Enrollment Periods
There’s also a 5-star rule worth knowing. If a Medicare Advantage plan in your area carries a 5-star quality rating, you can switch to it once between December 8 and November 30 of the following year, no other qualifying event required.4Medicare.gov. Special Enrollment Periods
How to Actually Cancel
Canceling a Medicare Advantage plan usually means enrolling in something else. Sign up for a new Medicare Advantage plan and your old one ends automatically. No separate call, no paperwork with the old insurer.
If you want Original Medicare back, you have a few routes:
- Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Contact your current plan directly.
- Visit a local Social Security office.
- Enroll in a standalone Part D drug plan, which automatically disenrolls you from your Medicare Advantage plan.
Once the switch processes, Part A and Part B become your primary coverage and the network restrictions from your old plan go away. Any provider that accepts Medicare will accept you.
Line Up Medigap Before You Leave
This is where cancellations go sideways. Original Medicare has no annual out-of-pocket cap, so a single serious illness can run up big bills. Medigap policies cover those gaps, but you can’t always buy one on demand after you’ve been in a Medicare Advantage plan.
The one time insurers must sell you any Medigap policy they offer, regardless of your health, is during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period: six months starting the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older.5Medicare.gov. Get Ready to Buy After that window closes, you need a guaranteed issue right to avoid medical underwriting.
Two trial rights cover people early in their Medicare Advantage experience. If you joined a Medicare Advantage plan when you first became eligible for Medicare at 65 and want out within the first 12 months, you have a guaranteed issue right to buy Medigap.6Medicare. Learn How Medigap Works The same protection applies if you dropped a Medigap policy to try Medicare Advantage for the first time and want to switch back within a year.7Medicare. Choosing a Medigap Policy
Guaranteed issue also kicks in if your plan leaves Medicare or your area, if its network changes significantly, or if the insurer misled you or broke the rules. In every one of these cases, you have no more than 63 days after your old coverage ends to apply for the Medigap policy.7Medicare. Choosing a Medigap Policy Miss that window and an insurer can deny your application based on your health history. Some states require insurers to sell Medigap regardless, but federal law does not.8Medicare.gov. Buying a Medigap Policy
Line Up Part D or Pay for Life
Most Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage. When the plan ends, so does the drug coverage. Go 63 continuous days or more without creditable drug coverage after your initial Part D enrollment period and you’ll owe a late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Part D.9Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Creditable Coverage and Late Enrollment Penalty
The penalty is 1% of the national base beneficiary premium for each uncovered month. In 2026 the base premium is $38.99, so each month without coverage adds roughly $0.39 to your monthly Part D premium permanently.10Medicare. Avoid Late Enrollment Penalties Two uncovered years would mean about $9.36 extra every month for the rest of your time on Medicare.
The fix is simple: enroll in a standalone Part D plan at the same time you disenroll from your Medicare Advantage plan. If you’re making the switch during the Annual Enrollment Period or the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, you can do both at once.
What Original Medicare Will Cost You
Many Medicare Advantage plans charge no premium beyond the standard Part B premium, which is $202.90 per month in 2026.11Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 2026 Medicare Parts A and B Premiums and Deductibles Returning to Original Medicare keeps that premium and adds a $283 Part B deductible in 2026 before Medicare starts paying.12Medicare. 2026 Medicare Costs After the deductible, Medicare generally pays 80% of approved services and you pay 20% with no annual cap.
That uncapped 20% is why most people who go back to Original Medicare also buy a Medigap policy and a standalone Part D plan, each with its own premium. In exchange you get any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare, no referrals, no network. Whether that trade works for you depends on your health, your budget, and how much you value the extra benefits like dental and vision that many Medicare Advantage plans bundle in.