b. Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP)

In addition to their opportunities during the AEP, SEP, or ICEP, MA eligible individuals may make one MA OEP election from January 1 st through March 31st and for a three-month period upon new entitlement to both Medicare Part A and B.

MA organizations are not required to open their MA plans for enrollment during an OEP . However, MA organizations must accept valid requests for disenrollment from MA-only plans during the OEP since Original Medicare is always open during an OEP. In addition, if an MA organization has more than one MA plan, the MA organization is not required to open each plan for enrollment during the same time frames.

The MA OEP allows disenrollment from an MA plan in order to switch to Original Medicare (with or without prescription drug coverage), or enrollment into a different MA plan (with or without prescription drug coverage).

EXCEPTION: Beneficiaries may not elect an MA MSA plan during the Open Enrollment Period.