September 28, 2026 · 6 min read
You can change plans every month — if you have Medicare and Medicaid
Two special enrollment periods most people have never heard of, explained for Ohio families before fall enrollment begins.
By David Nunley
Licensed Medicare broker · United Medicare Club, Stow, Ohio · United Medicare Club
Most people with Medicare get one big chance a year to change plans: October 15 through December 7. If you also have Medicaid or Extra Help, you have more flexibility than that — and with the 2027 dual-plan changes arriving, it matters more than ever to understand it.
The old quarterly rule is gone
Until the end of 2024, people with Medicaid or Extra Help could change plans once per quarter during the first nine months of the year. Since January 1, 2025, that quarterly window has been replaced with two monthly ones.
1. The monthly Dual / Extra Help special enrollment period
Full duals, partial duals (people in a Medicare Savings Program), and people with Extra Help only can, once a month, leave a Medicare Advantage plan for Original Medicare plus a standalone prescription drug plan, or switch from one standalone drug plan to another. It does not let you hop between regular Medicare Advantage plans.
2. The monthly integrated care special enrollment period
If you have full Medicaid, you can, once a month, enroll in an integrated dual plan — in Ohio, that means a Next Generation MyCare plan — that lines up your Medicare and Medicaid with the same company. This is the door CMS built so people can align their coverage at any time, not just in the fall.
Why this matters right now: if your current dual plan is ending on December 31, you don't have to wait until October 15 to move into an aligned plan. A move made this month would start the first of next month.
What these windows won't do
- They don't let you switch between two regular (non-dual) Medicare Advantage plans mid-year.
- They don't apply to people with Medicare only — those folks use Annual Enrollment or another life-event special enrollment period.
- Someone flagged by their plan's drug-safety program may have limits on the Dual / Extra Help window.
These rules are confusing even for people who work in insurance. If you're not sure which group you're in, look at your Medicaid card and any letter from Social Security about Extra Help, or give me a call and we'll sort it out together.
Have a question about your own situation? Send me a note from the United Medicare Club home page or call (234) 380-6282. — David
Sources
- CMS — New Special Enrollment Periods for Dually Eligible and Extra Help–eligible Individuals
- HHS Guidance Portal — D-SNPs: Integration & Unified Appeals & Grievance Requirements
- Medicare.gov — Special Enrollment Periods
- Ohio Medicaid Consumer Hotline — Learn about Next Generation MyCare (1-800-324-8680)
Information current as of September 28, 2026. Rules and plan offerings change; confirm details with your plan, Medicare.gov, or the Ohio Medicaid Consumer Hotline.
