Medicare when you move: what goes with you and what you have to change
Short answer
Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) goes with you to any state; any doctor or hospital that takes Medicare will take it. Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans are local. If you move out of your plan's service area, you get a Special Enrollment Period: tell your plan before you move and the window opens the month before your move and runs 2 full months after it. If you tell them after you move, it runs 2 full months from when you tell them. If you do nothing, you end up in Original Medicare once your old plan drops you.
Not insurance advice. Confirm your options with Medicare (1-800-MEDICARE) or your state's SHIP counselor.
At a glance
| What you have now | What happens when you move to another state |
|---|---|
| Original Medicare (A and B) | Nothing changes; it works nationwide |
| Medicare Advantage (Part C) | Plan networks are local; pick a new plan in your 2-month window |
| Part D drug plan | Plans are regional; pick a new plan in your 2-month window |
| Medigap (supplement) | Your policy keeps working with Original Medicare; the premium may change |
| Leaving Medicare Advantage because you moved | Guaranteed right to buy certain Medigap plans, from 60 days before to 63 days after your old coverage ends |
Medicare Advantage and Part D
Medicare Advantage plans and drug plans are sold by service area, usually a county or group of counties. Moving outside that area is a qualifying event. In the Special Enrollment Period you can join a Medicare Advantage plan in your new area, join a stand-alone drug plan, or return to Original Medicare. Source: Medicare.gov, Special Enrollment Periods.
Timing matters. If you tell your plan before you move, your window starts the month before the move and lasts until 2 full months after. If you tell them after, it lasts 2 full months from the month you tell them. A plan that learns you have moved can drop you, so tell it. Sources: Medicare.gov, Special Enrollment Periods; AARP, What happens to Medicare if you move.
Medigap
If you already have a Medigap policy with Original Medicare, it keeps working in your new state, though the insurer may charge a different premium where you live now.
If you are leaving Medicare Advantage because you moved out of its service area, federal law gives you a guaranteed issue right: insurers must sell you certain standardized Medigap plans without pricing in your health, if you apply from 60 days before your Advantage coverage ends to 63 days after it ends. The right applies only if you go back to Original Medicare. Medigap cannot start until the Advantage coverage ends, so line the dates up. Source: Indiana SHIP, Medigap Rights (based on CMS guaranteed issue rules).
Outside those windows, most states let Medigap insurers review your health before selling you a policy. A few states give extra rights. Ask your new state's insurance department or SHIP.
A checklist for the move
- Before you move: call your Advantage or Part D plan with your new address and move date.
- Compare plans for your new ZIP code on Medicare.gov (Plan Finder) before the window closes.
- Check that your doctors and hospitals in the new town take the plan you pick.
- Update your address with Social Security, which handles Medicare records.
- If you get TRICARE For Life, see TRICARE when you move: you keep Part A and Part B, and TFL goes with you.
FAQ
- Do I have to change Medicare if I move to another state?
- Not if you have Original Medicare; it works in every state. If you have Medicare Advantage or a Part D plan, you will likely need a new plan in your new area.
- How long do I have to change plans after I move?
- If you tell your plan before you move, the window runs from the month before your move to 2 full months after it. If you tell them after, you have 2 full months from when you tell them.
- What happens if I miss the window?
- Your old plan can drop you and you go to Original Medicare. You can change again in the Open Enrollment Period, October 15 to December 7.
- Can I get a Medigap plan after leaving Medicare Advantage?
- Yes, if you left because you moved out of the plan's area and you apply from 60 days before to 63 days after your Advantage coverage ends.
Sources
Last reviewed October 21, 2026. Not insurance advice.