Providers for Medicare Advantage Plans Now Listed on Medicare Plan Finder

For people who use Plan Finder to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan “and within 3 months discover that their preferred provider was not actually in the MA plan’s provider network,” CMS will let them select new coverage through a temporary, only-in-2026 special enrollment period (SEP), according to a Sept. 12 memo from CMS to Medicare Advantage plan sponsors.

“The intent of this SEP is to allow an individual to make a change to their MA plan election in order to stay with their preferred provider,” the memo says.

Wrong info opens 3-month window to change plans

During the special enrollment period, individuals will have three options, the memo says:

• Selecting a different Medicare Advantage plan with or without drug coverage.
• Leaving their current Medicare Advantage plan to return to original Medicare.
• Choosing a Part D plan to return to original Medicare with prescription drug coverage.

The special enrollment opportunity will be available for three months after the effective date of the Medicare Advantage plan selection. Only people who select their 2026 plan through the Medicare Plan Finder will be eligible for the special enrollment opportunity, according to CMS.

The memo did not mention whether the special enrollment period would include the ability to buy a Medicare supplement policy, better known as Medigap, with guaranteed issue rights regardless of your health. It also didn’t say whether Medicare Advantage enrollees who use State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselors or other assistance to enroll in a plan would be allowed to take advantage of this 2026-only special enrollment period to return to their physicians.

Beneficiaries who want to participate in the special enrollment period must call 1-800-MEDICARE, so a customer service representative can confirm that their enrollment “occurred directly through Medicare Plan Finder and then process the enrollment change,” the memo says. This special enrollment period is available only for 2026 for “individuals who made MA enrollments with effective dates of Jan. 1 through Dec. 1, 2026.”

Medicare Advantage plans, available from private insurers, will be required to update their provider directory information in the plan finder within 30 days of learning about any changes, according to CMS. The popular plans, which cover about half of eligible Medicare beneficiaries, also must attest to the accuracy of the directory information at least once a year.

“These regulatory changes will further promote informed beneficiary choice and transparency found in online resources, empowering people with Medicare to make informed choices about their coverage,” says the executive summary of the new CMS rule.

Other opportunities to switch

Medicare Advantage plan enrollees have additional but limited opportunities to change their coverage after open enrollment:

• Medicare Advantage open enrollment. Each year from Jan. 1 to March 31, you can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or choose original Medicare and join a Part D plan with coverage beginning the first day of the month after you make the changes. A caveat: If you leave Medicare Advantage for original Medicare, you may not be guaranteed the ability to buy a Medigap policy except under certain circumstances.
• Your first year in Medicare Advantage. If you either became a member of a Medicare Advantage plan or dropped a Medigap policy to join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time, you can change your mind within the first 12 months, return to original Medicare and have a right to buy a Medigap plan.
• The availability of a five-star Medicare Advantage plan. Ratings for 2026 Medicare Advantage plans are not yet available in the Plan Finder, but if a five-star plan is located in your area, you will be able to join it at any time except the first week in December.

Learn about coverage options, pharmacy comparisons

The 2026 plan finder features more information about Medicare Advantage plans’ supplemental benefits — the extra coverage options, such as dental, hearing and vision services, not available in original Medicare.

CMS is adding a new drug-search tool to Medicare.gov to help beneficiaries get personalized cost comparisons across pharmacies in their area to find the lowest prices.