I moved to a different parish in Louisiana. Can I keep my Medicare Advantage plan, or do I need to choose a new one?
Answered by 2 licensed agents
Medicare Advantage plans have specific service areas. Moving to another parish does not automatically mean you have to change plans, but you should not assume your current plan follows you either.
Start with a few questions:
Is your exact Medicare Advantage plan available at your new address?
Are your current doctors and hospitals still in the plan's network from your new location?
Did the move give you different Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plan choices?
And are you planning to keep the same doctors, or will you be establishing care closer to your new home?
If your current plan is available in the new parish, you may be able to keep it. I would still review the provider network and prescriptions before deciding to stay.
If your current plan is not available at your new address, the move gives you a special opportunity to choose new coverage. You can generally select another Medicare Advantage plan available in your new area, or you can return to Original Medicare. If you tell your plan before you move, that opportunity can begin the month before the move and continue for two full months afterward. If you have already moved, it generally continues for two full months after the move.
There is another option that is easy to overlook.
If you move outside your Medicare Advantage plan's service area and decide to return to Original Medicare instead of joining another Medicare Advantage plan, you may have a special federal right to buy certain Medicare Supplement plans without being turned down because of your health. There are time limits on that protection, so it is worth looking at before automatically choosing another Advantage plan.
If you return to Original Medicare, remember that you will also need to think about prescription drug coverage because a Medicare Supplement does not include Part D.
Answered by Jeremy Harkins on September 14, 2026
Broker Licensed in TN, AR, CA & 5 other states
Answered by Noelle Laderer on September 11, 2026
Broker Licensed in LA, AL, AR & MS
Tags: Advice for Seniors Coverage Medicare Advantage The Medicare System
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