Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment in Kansas City

The short answer

If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to change it between January 1 and March 31. Medicare calls this the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period.

Think of it as a second look after the new year starts. You see how your plan works in real life, and you can make one move if it does not fit.

Open Enrollment is still going

Right now, regular Open Enrollment is open. It runs October 15 to December 7, 2026. Changes you make now start January 1, 2027.

If you already know your plan is a problem, this is the easier time to act. The January window is a backup, not a plan.

Who can use the January window

Only people who are already in a Medicare Advantage plan can use it. Medicare is clear on this point.

If you have Original Medicare, you cannot use this window to join an Advantage plan. You also cannot use it to join or switch a drug plan.

What you can change, one time

Between January 1 and March 31, 2027, you can do one of these two things:

Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan, with or without drug coverage.
Drop your Advantage plan and go back to Original Medicare. You can also join a separate drug plan.

You only get one change. Medicare says any change starts the first of the month after the plan gets your request. A request in January would start February 1.

Because you only get one move, choose with care. If the new plan also leaves out your doctor, you cannot switch again in this window.

Check these before you use your one change

Your doctors and hospital. Ask if each one is in the plan’s network for 2027.
Your prescriptions. Check that each drug is on the plan’s list.
Your plan type. HMO and PPO plans treat out-of-network care differently.
Going back to Original Medicare. In many cases a Medigap policy asks health questions. Ask us before you drop your plan.

For how costs work, see Medicare costs this year.

Kansas City hospital examples

Networks change, and they change fast. These facts are as of October 2026. Please confirm them with the hospital and your plan before you decide.

Saint Luke’s and Aetna

Saint Luke’s hospitals leave the Aetna Medicare Advantage network on January 1, 2027. The current agreement ends December 31, 2026. Read more in our article on Saint Luke’s and Aetna for 2027.

If you have an Aetna Medicare Advantage plan and use Saint Luke’s, Open Enrollment is the time to look at this. Saint Luke’s also tells people to check that their doctors and drugs are covered by whatever plan they choose.

A plan ending is a different case. Saint Luke’s says that if your plan will not be offered in 2027, you move to Original Medicare on January 1, 2027. They also say you can then pick a Medigap plan without health questions.

NKC Health and two Advantage plans

As of October 2026, NKC Health is out of network with UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans. That started October 1, 2026. NKC Health also stopped accepting Cigna Medicare Advantage plans on January 1, 2026.

NKC Health says some plans have out-of-network benefits, and some do not. It warns that people in certain PPO plans may owe the whole bill for care there. Group plans from an employer may work differently.

NKC Health still accepts Original Medicare and Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans. Its list of accepted Medicare Advantage plans can change, so check it, or ask us to, before you choose.

What these examples tell us

A plan can look fine on paper and still leave out the hospital you use. That is why we check the hospital and your doctors first, then the plan.

If you are in a plan now and lose access to your hospital, the January window may still give you one fix. It is better to fix it by December 7 if you can.

If you are new to Medicare

The rules are a little different if you just joined Medicare. If you join an Advantage plan in your first months, you get a window to change. It covers your first 3 months with both Part A and Part B. See our Turning 65 guide for the details.

What to do next

Call us first at (816) 307-6165. Tell us your doctors, your hospital and your medicines, and we will check them against the plans we offer.

Rather pick a time? Book a free review by phone or video.

Our help is free, and the price of a plan is the same as going direct. You can also see which Kansas City networks include your doctors and hospitals.

You can also get free, unbiased help from your state program. In Missouri, call SHIP at 800-390-3330. In Kansas, call SHICK at 800-860-5260.

Cole Insure is an independent agency. We are not Medicare, Social Security or the government.

Live near Kansas City? See our local Medicare help page for the hospitals, networks and sign-up rules that apply to you.