Georgia Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP) Guide 2026

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP) runs every year from January 1 through March 31. It is the federal three-month window during which Medicare Advantage enrollees can make ONE change to their plan choice.1 The MA OEP exists as the AEP correction window, designed for beneficiaries who realize after January 1 that the plan choice they made during the Annual Enrollment Period doesn't actually work for them.

During the MA OEP, a Georgia Medicare Advantage enrollee can:

• Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan (with or without drug coverage), or
• Disenroll from Medicare Advantage and return to Original Medicare (with the option to add a standalone Part D Prescription Drug Plan)

The MA OEP is limited to one change per OEP. Once a beneficiary exercises their OEP change, they cannot make additional MA-related changes until the next AEP (October 15 - December 7) unless a Special Enrollment Period applies.

The MA OEP is established by federal statute and implementing regulation.

The MA OEP was created by the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016, which replaced the prior Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period (MADP). The MADP had run for six weeks in January and early February and only permitted MA-to-Original Medicare disenrollment (not MA-to-MA switches). The Cures Act expansion gave MA enrollees a full three months and added the MA-to-MA switching option.

For Georgia, that window reaches a large population: CMS counted 1,132,430 Georgians in Medicare Advantage and other health plans as of March 2026, more than half of the state's 2,019,345 people with Medicare.2 The MA OEP is particularly important for:

• AEP marketing fraud victims who need to escape a plan they didn't really choose
• Beneficiaries who discovered after January 1 that their new plan dropped a critical medication or provider
• Beneficiaries who want to return to Original Medicare after an unsuccessful MA experience
• Snowbird Georgians whose travel patterns make MA's narrow networks unworkable

Critically, the MA OEP is NOT available to anyone who is not already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, however they got in, whether through AEP, their Initial Enrollment Period, or a Special Enrollment Period. If you are in Original Medicare on January 1, the MA OEP does not apply to you; you must wait for AEP or a qualifying SEP to make plan changes.

This guide explains the federal MA OEP framework, the one-change-per-OEP limit, the effective date rules, the coordination with AEP and other enrollment windows, the Medigap implications, the LEP analysis, and the Georgia-specific marketplace context.

The Federal MA OEP Framework

Statutory and regulatory authority

CMS states the window plainly: the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31 each year, and people already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan may make one change during it, either switching to another MA plan or returning to Original Medicare and adding a drug plan.1

The implementing regulation is 42 CFR 422.62(a)(3). For 2019 and subsequent years, it lets an individual who is already enrolled in an MA plan make one election during the first three months of the year, either to enroll in another MA plan or to disenroll and obtain Original Medicare, and it permits a coordinating election to enroll in or disenroll from Part D alongside that change. Because the election belongs only to people already in an MA plan, Original Medicare beneficiaries are outside it.3

One bound in the regulation is easy to miss. For someone new to Medicare, that same single election runs during their first three months after getting Medicare rather than during January through March.3

The regulation also fixes the effective date, the first day of the month following enrollment.

History: from MADP to MA OEP

Before 2019 the relevant window was the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period (MADP), which ran only about six weeks in January and early February and let you leave MA for Original Medicare but not move from one MA plan to another. That was a poor fit for the beneficiary who regretted an AEP choice yet still wanted Medicare Advantage. The 21st Century Cures Act of 2016 extended the window to three months, added MA-to-MA switching, and renamed it the MA OEP, effective in 2019. The regulation's own "for 2019 and subsequent years" language marks that effective date.3

One change per OEP

A beneficiary can make exactly one election change during the MA OEP. Once the beneficiary exercises their OEP change, no additional MA-related changes are permitted until:

• The next Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 - December 7), or
• A qualifying Special Enrollment Period (loss of coverage, move, plan termination, 5-star, FEMA disaster, dual-eligible or LIS monthly SEP, etc.)

This one-change limit is operationally important. A beneficiary who switches from MA Plan A to MA Plan B on February 15 and then realizes on March 10 that MA Plan B isn't right either cannot use OEP again; the one OEP change has been exhausted. They must wait or qualify for an SEP.

Effective date rules

MA OEP changes take effect on the first day of the month following enrollment:

This contrasts with AEP, where all changes take effect January 1 regardless of when during AEP the beneficiary enrolled. The OEP first-day-of-following-month rule means an OEP change made March 30 still takes effect April 1, just like a change made March 1.

Permitted plan change options

The MA OEP permits exactly two categories of change:

Category 1: MA-to-MA switch. The beneficiary disenrolls from their current MA plan and enrolls in a different MA plan. The new MA plan may be:

• MA-PD (MA with prescription drug coverage), the common case
• MA-only (no drug coverage). The regulation lets your OEP election carry a coordinating Part D election, but how drug coverage actually works alongside a given MA-only plan varies by plan type.3 Confirm the drug-coverage arrangement with the plan and with GeorgiaCares SHIP before you switch, because you only get one OEP change and a gap in creditable drug coverage builds a permanent Part D penalty.

Category 2: MA-to-Original Medicare disenrollment. The beneficiary disenrolls from their MA plan and returns to Original Medicare. With this category, the beneficiary may also:

• Enroll in a standalone Part D PDP
• Apply for a Medigap policy (subject to underwriting in Georgia unless a guaranteed-issue scenario applies)

What is NOT permitted during the MA OEP:

• Original Medicare beneficiaries enrolling in MA (must use AEP or qualifying SEP)
• Standalone PDP-only beneficiaries changing PDPs (must use AEP or qualifying SEP)
• MA enrollees adding or dropping Part D coverage outside the categories above
• Multiple OEP changes
• Enrollment in a plan for a future plan year (OEP changes are for the current plan year only)

Marketing restrictions during OEP

Under 42 CFR 422.2263(b)(7), a Medicare Advantage organization may not knowingly target, or send unsolicited marketing materials to, any MA enrollee during the Open Enrollment Period. Note the bound: the protection runs to people already enrolled in an MA plan, and the regulation's own words are "knowingly target" and "unsolicited" marketing materials.3

The same regulation is explicit that plans may keep marketing other enrollment opportunities during those three months. During the OEP, an MA organization may conduct marketing activities that focus on other enrollment opportunities, including marketing to age-ins who have not yet made an enrollment decision, marketing by 5-star plans regarding their continuous enrollment special election period, and marketing to dual-eligible and LIS beneficiaries.3

The practical read for a Georgia MA enrollee: a January-through-March mailer, call, or text pitched at your OEP change is a red flag, while a 5-star or dual-eligible pitch arriving in the same window may be entirely permissible. Separately, the broader CMS Medicare Communications and Marketing Guidelines (MCMG) govern plan and agent conduct year-round. Violations can result in CMS sanctions, including marketing suspension and intermediary sanctions.

Coordination with Other Windows

MA OEP vs AEP

The Part D rows follow from the regulation itself: an MA enrollee who exercises the OEP election "may also make a coordinating election to enroll in or disenroll from Part D."3 What OEP does not give you is a standalone Part D move by itself; the drug-plan change has to ride along with the MA change.

MA OEP and Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs)

SEPs operate alongside MA OEP. A beneficiary may use either OEP or an SEP for plan changes, but should choose the more advantageous window:

• Working Aged SEP: Triggered by loss of employer coverage. May permit Part B enrollment plus MA/PDP enrollment, broader than OEP.
• 5-star SEP: Year-round, permits one enrollment in a 5-star plan. Operates during OEP and outside.
• Plan termination SEP: If your MA plan terminates or leaves your area, you get an SEP to choose a replacement plan, not just an OEP change.
• Geographic move SEP: A move outside your MA plan's service area triggers an SEP, which may be broader than OEP.
• FEMA disaster SEP: Federal disaster declarations trigger SEPs for affected beneficiaries.
• Loss of Medicaid SEP: Triggered by loss of Medicaid (or dual-eligible status), broader than OEP.
• Misinformation SEPs (Exceptional Conditions): Several misinformation-triggered SEPs are available under CMS rules.
• Dual-eligible and LIS monthly SEP: Full-benefit dual eligibles and Low-Income Subsidy beneficiaries get a once-a-month Part D SEP, typically more flexible than OEP for drug-plan moves.

MA OEP and Medigap

The MA OEP does NOT trigger a Medigap guaranteed-issue right in Georgia. A beneficiary disenrolling from MA during OEP and returning to Original Medicare typically wants Medigap, but in Georgia:

• Medigap purchases during OEP are typically subject to medical underwriting
• The beneficiary may be denied or rate-classified for pre-existing conditions
• Six-month pre-existing condition waiting periods may apply

Guaranteed-issue exceptions during OEP. Federal law gives two separate trial rights, and the second one is easy to miss:

• Trial right 1, first-time MA at 65: If you joined a Medicare Advantage plan (or PACE) when you were first eligible for Medicare Part A at 65, and within the first year of joining you decide to switch to Original Medicare, you have the right to buy any Medigap policy sold by an insurance company in your state. People new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 buy Plan D or G in place of Plan C or F.6
• Trial right 2, you dropped Medigap to try MA: If you dropped a Medigap policy to join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time, you have been in the plan less than a year, and you want your Medigap policy back, you have the right to repurchase it: the same policy you had before, if the same insurance company still sells it. This is the OEP reader who took an agent's advice during AEP, gave up a Medigap plan for MA, and regretted it by January. Medicare's guide states no fallback if that company no longer sells the policy, so call GeorgiaCares SHIP or the Georgia Department of Insurance rather than assuming a substitute is guaranteed.6
• MA plan termination or service area exit: If the OEP-triggered disenrollment is in response to a plan terminating or leaving the service area, guaranteed-issue Medigap is available.

The trial-right clock is short, and it is the reason to move early in OEP. With either trial right you must apply for the Medigap policy no earlier than 60 days before your MA coverage ends and no more than 63 days after it ends. Medicare adds that your rights may last an extra 12 months under certain circumstances, so check with the Georgia Department of Insurance. Trial right 1 applies only if you switch to Original Medicare, not if you join another MA plan.6

For all other OEP MA-to-Original Medicare moves, Medigap underwriting applies. Strategy: apply for Medigap FIRST, before disenrolling from MA, to confirm acceptance and rates.

MA OEP and LIS / Extra Help

Low-Income Subsidy (LIS / Extra Help) beneficiaries have a once-a-month Part D SEP. Under the Contract Year 2025 final rule (CMS-4205-F), effective January 1, 2025, CMS ended the old quarterly Dual/LIS SEP and replaced it with a SEP that a full-subsidy-eligible person can use once in any month to elect a standalone Part D prescription drug plan, with the change taking effect the first of the following month.4

For LIS beneficiaries, this monthly SEP is typically more flexible than the MA OEP for drug-plan decisions because:

• It can be used once every month, not just once
• It is not limited to people already in an MA plan
• It permits standalone-PDP changes, including dropping an MA-PD plan to return to Original Medicare with a standalone PDP
• It operates throughout the year

One important limit: the monthly Dual/LIS SEP does not by itself let a beneficiary enroll in, or switch between, MA-only or MA-PD plans. A dual or LIS beneficiary who wants to move between Medicare Advantage plans still relies on the MA OEP (or another qualifying SEP).

MA OEP and dual eligibles

Full-benefit dual eligibles (Medicare + full Medicaid) also have the once-a-month Part D SEP described above, and full-benefit duals who are enrolling in an aligned, integrated D-SNP have a separate once-a-month integrated-care SEP for that purpose. For most dual eligibles making a drug-plan or aligned-D-SNP decision, these monthly windows are more flexible than the MA OEP.4

MA OEP and 5-star plans

CMS permits beneficiaries to enroll in a 5-star MA plan or 5-star PDP once per plan year through a year-round Special Enrollment Period. The 5-star SEP operates during OEP and outside. A beneficiary considering a 5-star plan can use the 5-star SEP without exhausting their OEP change.

Medigap Considerations During OEP

The same Medigap framework that governs AEP also governs OEP: no automatic guaranteed-issue right. Unless one of the exceptions above reaches you (either federal trial right, a plan termination, a service area exit, or the one-time six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period that starts the first month you have Part B at 65 or older, which is rarely still open at OEP), a beneficiary using OEP to return to Original Medicare must navigate medical underwriting.6 That is why the order of operations matters:

If Medigap is denied, the beneficiary may want to reconsider whether to leave MA, because Original Medicare without Medigap exposes the beneficiary to substantial cost-sharing risk.

LEP Implications

OEP plan changes do NOT trigger new Late Enrollment Penalties. A beneficiary who switches MA plans, or moves from MA back to Original Medicare with a Part D PDP, faces no new LEP exposure if they maintain creditable drug coverage.

However:

• Existing LEPs continue
• Dropping Part D coverage as a coordinating election during OEP creates future LEP exposure if you have no other creditable drug coverage
• A beneficiary moving from MA-PD to Original Medicare without adding a standalone PDP, with no other creditable coverage, will accrue Part D LEP months

Special Needs Plans (SNPs) and the OEP

A beneficiary enrolled in a Special Needs Plan (D-SNP, C-SNP, I-SNP) can use the OEP just like any other MA enrollee. Considerations:

• D-SNP enrollees: Full-benefit dual eligibles can also use the monthly Part D SEP (and, for aligned integrated D-SNP enrollment, the monthly integrated-care SEP), which may be more flexible than OEP.4
• C-SNP enrollees: A beneficiary whose chronic condition no longer meets the C-SNP eligibility criteria may face involuntary disenrollment outside the OEP framework.
• I-SNP enrollees: A beneficiary moving out of long-term care may need to disenroll from the I-SNP. OEP is one window for this, but loss-of-eligibility SEPs may apply.

The Georgia Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period Context

Georgia is a high-Medicare-Advantage state. As of March 2026, CMS reported 2,019,345 people with Medicare in Georgia, of whom 1,132,430 were enrolled in what CMS labels Medicare Advantage and other health plans, against 886,915 in Original Medicare. Participation varies sharply by county: 88,336 of Fulton County's 163,540 beneficiaries versus 5,038 of Camden County's 11,746. CMS also reports that 100% of people with Medicare in Georgia have access to a Medicare Advantage plan with a $0 monthly premium.2

There is real choice to switch into, though less than the headline number suggests. CMS counts 180 Medicare Advantage plans available in Georgia for 2026, up from 178 in 2025. But that is a statewide total, not the menu in front of any one beneficiary. What you actually choose among is smaller and depends on where you live: a KFF analysis of the CMS landscape files, counting only plans open to general enrollment, finds the average Georgia beneficiary can choose from 47 plans offered by an average of 8 insurers. Statewide, the average monthly MA premium fell from $13.76 in 2025 to $6.74 in 2026.2

If you signed up for a plan during AEP and now feel it was the wrong call, that regret is common and the OEP exists precisely to fix it. Common Georgia OEP scenarios include:

• AEP regret: A beneficiary who switched MA plans during AEP and discovers in January that the new plan's network doesn't include their PCP or specialists.
• Formulary surprise: A beneficiary who learns in January or February that their MA-PD plan's 2026 formulary no longer covers a critical specialty medication at an affordable tier.
• Snowbird disenrollment: A Georgia retiree who winters in Florida or another state and finds their MA plan's narrow Georgia-only network unworkable, choosing to return to Original Medicare for nationwide flexibility.
• Marketing fraud escape: A beneficiary who was enrolled in an MA plan through misleading marketing during AEP and uses OEP to undo the change.
• Rural Georgia constraints: A rural Georgia beneficiary discovering that the narrow MA network excludes specialists they need to travel for, choosing Original Medicare instead.

GeorgiaCares SHIP and OEP

Georgia SHIP (the program the Georgia Department of Human Services still lists as GeorgiaCares SHIP) is Georgia's State Health Insurance Assistance Program, administered by the Georgia Division of Aging Services. It is a volunteer-based program providing free, unbiased information and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers, and a certified counselor can be reached Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 1-866-552-4464, option 4. Georgia SHIP is not affiliated with any insurance company, and its counselors do not sell or solicit insurance of any kind.5 What they help with, and how it maps to an OEP decision:

• Understanding your health plan choices, which is the whole of an MA-to-MA comparison
• Enrolling in a Medicare plan, including the standalone Part D plan you pick up on the way back to Original Medicare
• Reviewing Medicare Summary Notices and Explanations of Benefits, often how a network or formulary problem gets confirmed
• Sorting through medical bills and filing Medicare claims and appeals
• Applying for financial-assistance programs that reduce Medicare out-of-pocket costs, including Medicaid, the Medicare Savings Program, and Extra Help / the Low-Income Subsidy5

OEP volume at GeorgiaCares is typically lower than AEP, so wait times are shorter. Beneficiaries should call as soon as they identify a problem with their AEP plan choice rather than waiting until late March.

Georgia Senior Medicare Patrol and OEP

Realizing you were pushed into the wrong plan by a high-pressure sales pitch is upsetting, and you are not alone in it. The Georgia Senior Medicare Patrol monitors OEP marketing activity, and the OEP gives you a real path to undo the change. While CMS prohibits OEP-targeted marketing, some agents and plans skirt the rules. Common OEP fraud patterns:

• Calls or visits implying that OEP is a "second AEP" with unlimited changes
• Pressure tactics to sign up for a new MA plan before the March 31 deadline
• Misleading benefit descriptions designed to lure AEP plan changes
• Identity theft attempts targeting confused beneficiaries

Beneficiaries who experience pressure tactics or misleading marketing during OEP should call the Georgia SMP.

MA OEP Best Practices

1. Use OEP to correct AEP mistakes, not to make speculative changes.
2. Identify the specific problem with your current plan before changing: network gap, formulary issue, cost-sharing problem, or service area exit.
3. Use the CMS Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare with your actual medications, pharmacy, and providers.
4. Call GeorgiaCares SHIP before enrolling.
5. Remember the one-change limit. Don't waste your OEP change on a marginal improvement.
6. Apply for Medigap FIRST if you're considering returning to Original Medicare. AEP and OEP do not trigger Medigap guaranteed-issue in Georgia on their own; check whether either federal trial right covers you, and mind the 63-day post-coverage deadline for using one.6
7. Plan the effective date. OEP changes are effective the first of the following month, not immediately.
8. Maintain continuous drug coverage. Don't let Part D coverage lapse between MA-PD and standalone PDP transitions.
9. Document the change with confirmation numbers and written confirmations.
10. Consider the monthly Part D SEP if you're LIS or dual-eligible; it is often more flexible than OEP for drug-plan changes.
11. Use the 5-star SEP if a 5-star plan is available; it doesn't exhaust your OEP change.
12. Don't fall for OEP marketing fraud. CMS prohibits OEP-targeted marketing; pressure tactics are red flags.
13. Don't wait until late March. The earlier you act, the sooner your new plan takes effect.
14. Plan for next AEP. The OEP is corrective; AEP is the primary annual decision window.

Worked Examples

Example 1: Fulton 67, Atlanta routine OEP correction (MA-to-MA)

Margaret, age 67, lives in Atlanta (Fulton County). She enrolled in a Humana MA-PD plan during AEP 2026 for January 1, 2027 effective date. In mid-January, she takes her elderly mother to a Northside Hospital cardiologist for a routine follow-up and learns that the cardiologist is out of network for her new Humana plan. The Humana Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) had not explicitly disclosed the network change for this specific specialist.

Margaret calls GeorgiaCares SHIP on January 24. The counselor runs the Medicare Plan Finder with Margaret's medications, pharmacy, and providers. Plan Finder identifies a UnitedHealthcare MA-PD plan that:

• Includes the Northside cardiologist in-network
• Covers all of Margaret's medications at similar or lower copays
• Has a 4.5-star quality rating
• Has no monthly premium

On February 5, Margaret enrolls in the UnitedHealthcare plan via medicare.gov. Effective March 1, 2027, her Humana plan terminates and the UnitedHealthcare plan begins. She has used her one OEP change. Her mother's cardiology care continues seamlessly.

Example 2: DeKalb 70, OEP MA-to-Original Medicare disenrollment

James, age 70, lives in Decatur (DeKalb County). He enrolled in an Anthem MA plan during AEP 2026. In late January 2027, after a hospitalization, James becomes frustrated with the prior authorization delays and the narrow specialist network. He decides he wants to return to Original Medicare with a Medigap policy.

James calls GeorgiaCares on January 30. The counselor explains:

• OEP permits MA-to-Original disenrollment
• Georgia does NOT trigger guaranteed-issue Medigap during OEP
• Neither federal trial right reaches James: he did not join MA when he was first eligible for Part A at 65 (he enrolled at 67), and he had no Medigap policy to drop when he joined
• James should apply for Medigap FIRST, before submitting the MA disenrollment

James applies for a Plan G Medigap policy with Mutual of Omaha in early February. He has controlled hypertension but no other significant conditions, and is approved at standard rates on February 20. On March 1, with Medigap approval in hand, James:

• Enrolls in a Wellcare Value Script standalone Part D PDP
• Submits MA disenrollment to Anthem

Effective April 1, 2027:

• Anthem MA terminated
• Original Medicare resumed
• Wellcare Part D PDP active
• Mutual of Omaha Plan G Medigap active

James has used his one OEP change. His total monthly cost is the standard Part B premium (in 2026, $202.90) plus his Medigap and standalone Part D premiums, but it is predictable and comes with nationwide provider acceptance.7

Example 3: Worth County 72, rural OEP MA-to-Original because all MA plans inadequate

Linda, age 72, lives in rural Worth County in south Georgia. During AEP 2026, she switched from Original Medicare to a Wellcare MA-PD plan, attracted by the no-premium plan and its dental coverage. In January 2027, she discovers that the Wellcare network in Worth County is even narrower than she realized: her nearest in-network specialist for a chronic condition is 60+ miles away in Macon.

Linda calls GeorgiaCares on January 22. The counselor runs Plan Finder and confirms:

• Only three MA plans available in Worth County
• All three have narrow networks excluding most of the specialists Linda needs
• Original Medicare permits any Medicare-accepting provider statewide and nationwide

The counselor also notes:

• Neither federal trial right reaches Linda: she joined MA at 72, not when she was first eligible for Part A at 65, and she was in Original Medicare with no Medigap policy to drop
• Medigap will therefore require underwriting

Linda applies for a Plan G Medigap policy with USAA in early February. Underwriting takes three weeks; she is approved at a modestly higher rate due to a controlled chronic condition. On March 5, she:

• Enrolls in a SilverScript Choice Part D PDP
• Submits MA disenrollment to Wellcare

Effective April 1, 2027:

• Wellcare MA terminated
• Original Medicare resumed
• SilverScript Part D active
• USAA Plan G Medigap active

Linda has used her one OEP change and has gained nationwide provider access at a higher but predictable monthly cost. Lesson: Rural Georgia MA enrollees should consider OEP MA-to-Original disenrollment if narrow networks prove unworkable.

Example 4: Bibb 69, OEP after AEP marketing fraud uncovered

David, age 69, lives in Macon (Bibb County). During AEP 2026, he received an unsolicited call from an agent who pressured him into enrolling in an unfamiliar MA plan with promises of "big grocery-card allowances" and "free dental." In January 2027, David realizes:

• The grocery card benefit requires meeting specific chronic condition criteria he doesn't satisfy
• The dental benefit excludes the dentist he'd been using for 15 years
• His new MA plan's PCP network excludes his current physician

David calls Georgia SHIP (GeorgiaCares) on January 18 and is pointed to the Georgia Senior Medicare Patrol, which takes a report on the misleading marketing. The SHIP counselor:

• Runs Plan Finder with David's actual needs
• Identifies a Cigna MA-PD plan that includes his PCP and dentist, with realistic benefits
• Helps David enroll in the Cigna plan

David enrolls in the Cigna plan on January 25. Effective February 1, 2027, his original MA plan terminates and Cigna begins. The Georgia SMP files a formal fraud report on the AEP agent.

Lesson: OEP is the recovery window for AEP marketing fraud. Combined GeorgiaCares + SMP intervention can both fix the immediate problem and contribute to enforcement against fraudulent agents.

Example 5: Hall 65, OEP one-change limit constraint

Sarah, age 65, lives in Gainesville (Hall County). She enrolled in an Anthem MA-PD during her IEP (effective August 2026) and used AEP 2026 to switch to a Humana MA-PD effective January 1, 2027. On January 20, 2027, she discovers a network issue with her Humana plan and uses her OEP change to switch to a Wellcare MA-PD effective February 1.

On February 25, Sarah discovers that the Wellcare plan's formulary doesn't cover her preferred brand of statin. She calls GeorgiaCares asking about another OEP change. The counselor explains:

• Sarah has already used her one OEP change
• No additional OEP changes are permitted
• Sarah must wait for AEP 2027 (October 15 - December 7, 2027) or find an SEP

The counselor evaluates SEPs and identifies none that apply. Sarah accepts the formulary issue for the rest of plan year 2027 (paying out-of-pocket or accepting therapeutic substitution per her physician's recommendation) and plans carefully for AEP 2027.

Lesson: The OEP one-change limit is real. Beneficiaries should consult GeorgiaCares before exercising the change to maximize the value of the one allowed switch.

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The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.