Last reviewed: September 30, 2026.
Direct answer: Yes, during windows Medicare allows. Annual Enrollment (October 15 through December 7) can be used to switch from Advantage to Original Medicare, generally effective January 1. If you are already in Advantage, Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment (January 1 through March 31) allows one change to Original Medicare, generally effective the first of the next month. Medigap follows separate rules and is not created by those Advantage windows.
Which windows allow the switch?
| Window | Dates | Switch to Original Medicare? | Add Part D? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Enrollment | Oct 15 – Dec 7 | Yes, effective Jan 1 | Yes |
| Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment | Jan 1 – Mar 31 | Yes (one change), effective the next month | Yes |
| Trial right (first year in Medicare Advantage after first joining) | 12 months after joining | Yes | Yes, with guaranteed Medigap rights |
| Special Enrollment Period (move, Extra Help or a Medicare Savings Program, etc.) | Event-based | Depends on event | Depends on event |
Medicare.gov Open Enrollment and the site article When can I switch Medicare plans in Florida list the periods. This page is only the return-to-Original-Medicare question, not every mid-year event. Special Enrollment Periods are event-specific; do not assume a generic deadline.
What happens to my prescriptions?
If the Advantage plan included Part D, returning to Original Medicare means you need a stand-alone drug plan unless you have other creditable coverage. During Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment, Medicare.gov describes an opportunity to join a separate drug plan when you return to Original Medicare. Check every drug on the new formulary before you switch. See checking prescriptions.
Will I automatically get Medigap?
Outside your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period or a guaranteed-issue right such as the trial right, a Medigap insurer can review your health and decline you. Get a Medigap approval before you leave Medicare Advantage.
No. You apply for Medigap separately. Outside the federal Medigap Open Enrollment Period or another issue right, a company may ask health questions. Trial rights exist in limited situations described by Medicare.gov; they are not the same as AEP. Florida also has state Medigap rules that can apply. Medigap is not selected as an AEP Advantage plan change. See Advantage versus Supplement.
What should I verify before I leave Advantage?
Doctors who participate with Original Medicare, hospital acceptance, the Part D plan you would join, and whether any extra Advantage benefits you use would end. Extra benefits vary by plan and are not Original Medicare. Use the AEP checklist if you are in the fall window.
What is a trial right, in brief?
Medicare.gov describes limited situations in which a person who tries Medicare Advantage can later buy a Medigap policy with stronger issue rights than a standard underwritten application. Those rights are specific, time-limited, and not a general AEP feature. Read the current Medicare.gov Medigap pages rather than assuming you have a trial right.
If you do not have a trial right or federal Medigap Open Enrollment, a Medigap application can be declined or priced with health questions. That is why the return to Original Medicare should include a Medigap conversation before you drop Advantage, not after.
Keep the Advantage disenrollment confirmation. You need it if a claim is billed to the wrong plan during the change month.
Common questions
Can I leave Medicare Advantage in July for Original Medicare?
Only if a Special Enrollment Period applies to your event. The regular windows are Annual Enrollment and, if you are already in Advantage, Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment.
Does MA-OEP automatically issue a Medigap policy?
No. Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment is not a federal Medigap Open Enrollment Period. Medigap availability depends on separate rules.
What to do next
Map the effective date of the Advantage disenrollment, the Part D start date, and any Medigap application. Write down specialists, the hospital you use, and every prescription before you submit a change. David Huff, a licensed Florida health agent, can review the sequence. Call (863) 640-3102 or use Get Help.
Plan the return to Original Medicare before you disenroll
Bring your current plan ID, prescriptions, and doctor list. Dropping Advantage does not by itself issue Medigap.
Request a Plan Review Call (863) 640-3102Sources
Enrollment periods and Medigap issue rights are set by Medicare and state rules. This page is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. Coverage varies by plan.