How to Switch From Medicare Advantage to Medigap
Reviewed October 4, 2026. To switch from Medicare Advantage to Medigap, you first leave your Medicare Advantage plan during an allowed enrollment period, such as Open Enrollment (October 15 to December 7, 2026, for coverage starting January 1, 2027), and return to Original Medicare. Buying a Medigap policy is a separate step: unless you have a guaranteed issue right, an insurer may ask health questions, charge more or deny your application. So confirm a Medigap policy will be issued before you end your Medicare Advantage coverage.
Quick answer: First identify when you may leave Medicare Advantage. Then find out whether you have a federal or state Medigap guaranteed issue right. Apply for Medigap and, if needed, a separate Part D drug plan, with coordinated start dates.
Medicare Advantage and Medigap can’t be used together
Medigap supplements Original Medicare. It doesn’t pay Medicare Advantage copays, deductibles or premiums. Medicare says you generally must have Part A and Part B and be in Original Medicare to buy Medigap. Read Medicare.gov’s explanation of how Medigap works. If you’re still deciding which route suits you, compare the reasons people go back to Original Medicare.
Step 1: find an enrollment period that lets you leave Medicare Advantage
| Enrollment opportunity | What you can do | When the change starts |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare Open Enrollment | October 15 to December 7: switch from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare and join a separate Part D plan | January 1 of the following year (January 1, 2027, for changes made in fall 2026) |
| Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment | January 1 to March 31, if already in Medicare Advantage: make one change, including returning to Original Medicare and joining a separate Part D plan | The first day of the month after the plan receives the request |
| Special Enrollment Period | Available only for qualifying events. Choices and deadlines depend on the event | Depends on the qualifying situation |
| First-year trial right | In specified first-time Medicare Advantage situations, leave during the first 12 months and return to Original Medicare with special Medigap rights | Depends on when the request is made |
Check Medicare Advantage enrollment periods on Medicare.gov. Other Special Enrollment Periods may apply to a move, loss of coverage, Medicaid, Extra Help, a plan contract change or another qualifying event. See Medicare’s Special Enrollment Period list. For this year’s dates and what else you can change, read our Medicare Open Enrollment guide.
Step 2: check your right to buy Medigap before leaving
The annual Medicare enrollment periods don’t automatically give you a right to buy any Medigap policy. Your one-time six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period begins the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older. During it, an insurer can’t deny a policy it sells or charge more because of health problems. After it ends, insurers may use medical underwriting unless a guaranteed issue right applies. Review Medicare’s Medigap enrollment protections.
Federal trial right: Medicare Advantage was your first choice at 65
If you joined Medicare Advantage when first eligible for Medicare Part A at 65 and decide within the first year to switch to Original Medicare, federal rules give you a right to buy certain Medigap policies sold in your state. Medicare’s guide says you may apply as early as 60 days before your Medicare Advantage coverage ends and no later than 63 days after it ends.
Federal trial right: you dropped Medigap to try Medicare Advantage
If you dropped a Medigap policy to join Medicare Advantage for the first time and have been in the plan less than a year, you may have a right to get the former policy back if the same insurer still sells it. If it’s unavailable, federal rules give rights to specified standardized plans, subject to eligibility and state law. See Medicare’s official Medigap guide.
If you don’t have a guaranteed issue right
Outside Medigap Open Enrollment and a guaranteed issue situation, an insurer may review your health history under your state’s rules. It may deny the application, offer fewer choices or charge more. Some states give broader protections. Know what to expect from Medigap underwriting questions, and contact your State Insurance Department before dropping Medicare Advantage. Free counseling is available from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program. Find your local SHIP counselor.
Step 3: coordinate all three start dates
- Confirm the Medicare Advantage end date.
- Get the Medigap decision and start date in writing. If underwriting applies, an application isn’t an approval.
- Choose Part D separately if needed. Medigap policies sold after 2005 don’t include outpatient prescription drug coverage. Not having creditable drug coverage can lead to a Part D late enrollment penalty.
- Review the Part D plan’s drug list and pharmacy network. See how Part D works.
- Keep all notices. Save proof of prior coverage, the end of your Medicare Advantage plan, applications and start dates.
Medicare explains that people returning to Original Medicare may need a separate drug plan. Review Medicare’s Open Enrollment guidance.
Questions to ask before switching
- Which enrollment period lets me leave my Medicare Advantage plan?
- Do I have a federal trial right or another guaranteed issue protection?
- Does my state give an additional Medigap right?
- Has the insurer approved my application in writing?
- When will Original Medicare, Medigap and Part D each begin?
- Will my prescriptions be covered by the Part D plan?
Our plan comparison worksheet can help you line up premiums and expected costs side by side. If premiums are your main concern, also see our guide to High Deductible Plan G, a lower-premium version of standard Plan G.
Frequently asked questions
Can I switch from Medicare Advantage to Medigap at any time?
No. You can only leave Medicare Advantage during an allowed enrollment period, such as Open Enrollment (October 15 to December 7) or the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 to March 31), or with a Special Enrollment Period. You can apply for Medigap at any time, but approval isn’t guaranteed outside a protected right.
Can I be denied a Medigap policy when I leave Medicare Advantage?
Yes, in most states, unless you have a guaranteed issue right or are in your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. The insurer may use medical underwriting.
What is the Medicare Advantage trial right?
If you joined Medicare Advantage at 65 when first eligible, or dropped a Medigap policy to try Medicare Advantage for the first time, you may switch back to Original Medicare within the first 12 months with a right to buy certain Medigap policies.
Do I need a Part D plan if I switch to Medigap?
Usually yes, if you want drug coverage. Medigap policies sold today don’t cover prescriptions, so you’d join a stand-alone Part D plan.
Should I cancel my Medicare Advantage plan before I’m approved for Medigap?
Ideally, no. Get written approval and a start date from the Medigap insurer first, then switch to Original Medicare and join a Part D plan so there’s no gap.
Primary government sources
- Medicare.gov: Joining a Health or Drug Plan
- Medicare.gov: Get Ready to Buy Medigap
- Medicare.gov: How Medigap Works
- CMS: Choosing a Medigap Policy
- Medicare.gov: Open Enrollment
This article provides general information. Enrollment rights depend on timing, prior coverage, state law and individual circumstances. Verify your dates and protections with 1-800-MEDICARE, your State Insurance Department or SHIP before ending coverage. Medicare365 is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.