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Medicare Plans

Switching Your Medicare Plan in St. Louis, MO

Keeping the same Medicare plan every year is a decision too. Networks, drug tiers and copays change each January, and a plan that suited you three years ago in Webster Groves or Chesterfield may cost you more now.

Changing plans is usually easy, as long as Medicare has a window open for you. Here's how to tell whether you can switch right now, and what to compare first.

  • See whether a window is open for you
  • Keep the doctors and drugs you count on
  • Free to review, no pressure to change
  • Local help from people who know St. Louis
Check My Switching Window Call us: 314-463-5815
An older couple smiling as they look over a laptop together at home

Find out if you can switch, and if you should

Tell us your current plan, your doctors and your prescriptions. A licensed insurance agent confirms which enrollment window applies and calls you back during business hours with a plain answer, even when staying put is the better choice.

Check My Switching Window Call us: 314-463-5815

What to expect

Free review
  • A licensed agent calls you back during business hours, Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5:30pm CT
  • Your doctors and prescriptions get checked before any plan is suggested
  • No fee for our help, and your premium is the same either way
  • No obligation to enroll, and no pressure if you'd rather stay put
Call us: 314-463-5815

Reviewed by the licensed insurance agents at St. Louis Senior Insurance. Last reviewed: October 2026. Office hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5:30pm CT.

Check My Switching Window

Takes under a minute.

Free

By submitting, you agree a licensed agent may call you about Medicare or final expense options. No obligation to enroll.

Eligibility

Which window fits your situation

WindowDatesWhat you can do
Annual Open EnrollmentOct 15 to Dec 7Change Advantage plans, change Part D plans, or go back to Original Medicare
Medicare Advantage Open EnrollmentJan 1 to Mar 31One change if you're already in an Advantage plan
Special Enrollment PeriodSet off by an eventMoving, losing job-based coverage, qualifying for Extra Help, or your plan leaving your county
Missouri Medigap anniversary30 days before or after your policy anniversaryMove to the same plan letter at another company with no health questions
Other Medigap changesAny timeApply for a different plan, usually with health questions unless a guaranteed-issue right applies

A move inside the metro can open a window

A new address, even one as close as a move from South City out to O'Fallon, can open a Special Enrollment Period if it takes you outside your plan's service area. Give us your move date and we'll check.

Reasons

Good reasons to look again

  • Your doctor or hospital left the plan's network
  • A drug moved to a higher tier or came off the drug list
  • Your Medigap premium went up again
  • Routine visits are costing more than you planned
  • You now qualify for Extra Help or a Missouri Medicare Savings Program
  • You moved, retired or lost coverage from a job

Switching isn't always the answer. Sometimes the plan you have is still the best one we can offer in your part of the St. Louis area, and the right move is to keep it. We'll tell you that plainly. We'd rather keep you as a client for years than move you around for one season.

Local networks

Switching plans around St. Louis

Most switching questions here come back to hospitals. Advantage plans sold in the St. Louis area don't all contract with the same groups. One may include BJC and SSM Health, another Mercy and St. Luke's, and those contracts can change at renewal. The plans offered also differ between St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. If you're in cancer treatment, ask whether the plan covers your oncologist. Veterans who use the John Cochran or Jefferson Barracks VA medical centers should think about how VA care fits with any Medicare plan before switching. Not sure we cover your area? See our service areas.

For free counseling on every plan sold in your county, you can also call Missouri SHIP at 800-390-3330.

Process

How a switch works

  1. 1

    Start with what you have

    Have your plan card, your drug list and the names of the doctors you want to keep.

  2. 2

    Compare real numbers

    Premium, deductible, copays, network and drug tiers, added up for the whole year instead of one month.

  3. 3

    Confirm your window

    We make sure you're allowed to switch and confirm the start date before you sign any application.

  4. 4

    Enroll and follow up

    We send in the paperwork, watch for confirmation and make sure the old coverage ends cleanly with no gap.

New to comparing plans? Start with our Medicare plans overview, weigh Advantage vs. Medigap, or read the mistakes to avoid before you change anything.

Questions

Common questions about switching plans in St. Louis

Can I change Medicare plans whenever I want?
Only when Medicare opens a window. Most people change during Annual Open Enrollment, October 15 to December 7. A move, losing coverage from a job or your plan leaving your county can open a Special Enrollment Period at other times.
My doctor left my plan's network. What now?
That's a good reason for a review. If a BJC, Mercy, SSM Health or St. Luke's doctor you depend on leaves your Advantage network, we check whether an open window lets you move without a gap in coverage.
Does moving across town open a window?
Sometimes. If the move takes you outside your plan's service area, it can open a Special Enrollment Period. Moving from the city to St. Charles County might, while a move inside the same service area usually won't. Give us your move date and new address and we'll check.
Can I switch Medigap companies in Missouri?
Yes, once a year. In the 30 days before or after your policy anniversary, you can move to the same plan letter at another company, and the new company can't turn you down for health reasons. Changing to a different letter, or switching at other times, usually means health questions. More on Medigap in St. Louis.
Can I leave Medicare Advantage for a Medigap plan?
You can drop Advantage and go back to Original Medicare during Open Enrollment or the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. Buying a Medigap plan after your first six months on Part B usually means health questions, and a company can say no unless you have a guaranteed-issue right.
Does it cost anything to find out if I can switch?
No. Checking your window and comparing plans is free, whether you switch or stay put.

Before you switch

Annual Open Enrollment

The fall window when most plan changes happen.

Read more

Medicare Advantage

Check networks and the out-of-pocket cap before you move.

Read more

Medicare Supplement (Medigap)

Missouri's anniversary rule and when health questions apply.

Read more

Part D Drug Plans

Recheck your drug list every fall, even if nothing else changed.

Read more

Not sure if you can switch right now?

One short call tells you which window applies and whether a change would save you money.

Request a free review 314-463-5815
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