Can You Switch From a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plan to Medicare Advantage for 2027? Timing, Steps and the Way Back

Reviewed by Russell Noga, Licensed Medicare Insurance Broker (all 50 states) — Last updated October 27, 2026

A low Medicare Advantage premium can look tempting next to a Medigap bill that climbs every year. Annual Enrollment for 2027 is open right now, so this is the window most people use to make the move.

The switch itself is simple. What trips people up is the order of the steps, a Medigap policy that keeps billing after the new plan starts and the question nobody asks until later: can I get my Medicare Supplement back if Medicare Advantage doesn’t work out? This guide answers all three.

Medicare Advantage has set enrollment windows. Your Medigap policy can be dropped any time, but the Medicare Advantage plan can only be joined during one of these:

For most people with a Medicare Supplement, that means the decision has to be made by December 7, 2026.

Here’s how the order of steps works for a January 1, 2027 start.

When you switch Part D drug plans, Medicare ends the old drug coverage automatically when the new one begins. Medigap doesn’t work that way. Medicare.gov says most Medigap policies don’t automatically cancel when you join a Medicare Advantage plan. Only you can end it.

Keeping both doesn’t buy you extra protection. A Medigap policy can’t pay Medicare Advantage deductibles, copays, coinsurance or premiums, so it would sit unused while you keep paying for it.

Two timing mistakes cost real money, and they point in opposite directions:

Illustrative overlap math: say your Plan G premium is $180 a month. Forget to cancel and you pay $180 for January, $540 by the end of March and $1,080 by the end of June, all for coverage that can’t pay a single Medicare Advantage claim. Multiply your own premium by the months you overlap.

This is the real cost of switching. Once you drop Medigap, buying it again usually means answering health questions, and the company can turn you down. Here’s how your way back depends on your situation and your state:

The birthday-rule row surprises people. KFF notes they don’t let anyone without a Medigap policy buy a new one, so they won’t help after a year or more in Medicare Advantage.

Using the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 to March 31, can move you back to Original Medicare, but it doesn’t make a Medigap company take you. See our full guide to the Medigap trial right before you rely on it, and review the Medigap underwriting questions you’d face without it.

Here’s what changes on January 1 if you leave a plan you already have:

Every Medicare Advantage plan has a yearly in-network out-of-pocket limit. The federal cap was $9,250 for 2026, and plans can set lower limits, so look up the exact figure for any 2027 plan you’re considering.

Couples don’t always switch together. Before one of you cancels, check what happens to the premium of the spouse who keeps a Medicare Supplement plan.

Many companies give a household discount when two people in the home are covered, and some require both to keep a policy. If yours does, the spouse who stays could lose the discount and see a higher bill. Ask for a quote without the discount and count that increase as part of the cost of switching.

Learn how discounts work by company in our guide to the Medicare Supplement household discount.

Our guide to Medicare Supplement open enrollment explains how you got your Medigap policy without health questions, and Medicare Supplement open enrollment vs. guaranteed issue shows which rights could bring you back.

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