Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period

The Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period ran from January 1 through February 14 each year, allowing beneficiaries to drop their Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare. This period has been replaced by the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP), which runs Jan 1–Mar 31 and offers broader options.

If you currently have Medicare Advantage and want to return to Original Medicare, use the OEP window (January 1–March 31). When you disenroll from Medicare Advantage, you can also join a standalone Part D plan for prescription drug coverage.

Note: returning to Original Medicare mid-year may make it harder to get Medigap coverage, since insurance companies can use medical underwriting outside of a guaranteed issue period in most states.